Hernán Crespo Rejects Comparisons Between Maradona and Messi
Argentine football’s history is defined by two towering figures: Diego Armando Maradona and Lionel Messi. While both are hailed as legends, former Argentina striker Hernán Crespo insists that comparing the two is unfair and overlooks the unique context of their respective eras.
Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Crespo, now a youth coach at Parma, drew on his personal experience of witnessing the final years of Maradona’s international career and Messi’s rise with the Albiceleste since 2006.
“You can’t compare players from different generations. It’s unfair,” Crespo said. “When I was playing, I was marked by Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Lilian Thuram… You know what I mean? Many fall into the trap of wanting to compare Messi to Maradona at all costs. Messi is extraordinary, but you cannot describe Maradona’s skills with words.”
Maradona, the 1986 World Cup-winning captain, famously wore the number 10 shirt for Argentina and later coached Messi, who also inherited the iconic jersey and plays for FC Barcelona, just as “El Pibe de Oro” did.
Crespo, who spent 14 of his 19 professional seasons in Italy’s Serie A, also reflected on the current state of Italian football, noting how it has lost ground to the Premier League and La Liga in attracting top talent.
“Ten to 15 years ago, all the best players came to Serie A. Today, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi wouldn’t dream of playing in Italy,” he observed. “We need to change that mentality by growing talent here. The goal of Serie A should be to export, not import. If we take this path, we can return to the top level in four years. I say this as an adopted Italian, not as an Argentinian.”
Crespo’s comments highlight the challenges facing Serie A in reclaiming its former prestige, even as Argentina’s footballing heritage continues to be shaped by icons from different generations.
