Messi or Ronaldo? Diego Simeone explains leaked WhatsApp message | OneFootball

Diego Simeone has attempted to clarify the statements he made about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in a recent leaked WhatsApp message.

During the World Cup, Simeone sent a voice note to his Atlético Madrid assistant Germán Burgos in which he suggested he preferred Ronaldo to Messi.

“Messi is very good, but he’s very good because he’s accompanied by fantastic players [at Barcelona],” said Simeone in a message which somehow found its way to the press.

“If you had to choose between Messi and Ronaldo for an average team, who would you go for?”

But the Argentine coach now claims his words were misconstrued, and that he actually prefers Messi over Ronaldo.

“I’d always choose Messi [over Ronaldo], without a doubt,” he told reporters ahead of Atlético’s International Champions Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

“When I said what I did about Messi and Ronaldo, I wasn’t talking about who is the best player in the world. I was saying that in a team of average players, Ronaldo would probably be a better fit.

“But, when surrounded by top players, Messi is the best in the world.”

Confusing.

In other Rojiblancos news, Simeone is reportedly hoping to bring his son to the Wanda Metropolitano this summer.

Giovanni Simeone currently plays as a striker for Serie A side Fiorentina and according to Spanish outlet Sport, Simeone Snr has already had a €40m bid rejected by the Viola for his own offspring.

The 23-year-old scored 14 goals in 38 matches last season, and it will be interesting to see whether Atleti go back in with an improved offer.