Crespo: Messi deserves to lift the Cup

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05:36

Hernan Jorge Crespo is a former Argentine footballer, who has scored over 300 goals in a professional career spanning almost two decades. Making 64 appearances for the Albiceleste, Crespo has netted 35 goals.

Except for Gabriel Batistuta and Lionel Messi, no Argentine footballer has scored more goals than the prolific forward, who played for two of the Serie A giants, Parma and Lazio, where he achieved three Serie A scudetti.

As his country is eyeing their third world title in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Russia, CGTN’s Mike Fox had a freewheeling chat with the talismanic Argentine striker on many issues pertaining to the blue riband event of world football.

Hernan Crespo of Argentina celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Group C match between Argentina and Ivory Coast. /VCG File Photo

Crespo, who received his first cap for Argentina in 1995, made his maiden World Cup appearance in 1998 in France and played in three successive tournament finals. “All of the three were amazing. You could be part of the great event like this, it's something special,” said Crespo.

The most memorable for him was the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He said: “I was the player that was more experienced than the other guys. It was a lot of pressure in my shoulder but I lived this pressure with happiness, because it was very special to play with the likes of Messi, Tevez.”

“It was amazing to experience. So those people who you helped grow and learn from you were the senior players, are the senior players now,” added the Argentine.

Crespo has seen Lionel Messi from close quarters and explained: “Maybe this will be the last World Cup with Messi, I think he deserves to lift the Cup.”

In his first match in the national team, Argentine Lionel Messi (C) is comforted by his teammates Hernan Crespo (R) and Luis Gonzales (R) as he received a red card. /‍VCG File Photo

On his side’s weaknesses, the former striker explained, “if you compare the attacking with the defense, is normally the attacking of Argentina is very important. But at the same time, it's not bad, the defense. The problem with Argentina is in the midfield because we don't have changes, we don't have substitutes with Javier Mascherano, Lucas Biglia.”

After a career which was spread across Argentina, Italy, and England, Crespo is now vice president of former club Parma. The 42-year-old delved into coaching in 2015 in Serie B.

“I like so much to be a manager," he revealed. "It's beautiful to stay on the pitch, to talk with the player, try to explain the way that what's want to be a professional football player. Help them to become better in their career, it's something beautiful.”