Messi won't be able to do what I did in Serie A - Maradona

Football legend, Diego Maradona has said that his compatriot Lionel Messi would struggle to make the impact he made when he played in the Italian Serie A.

Maradona stated this prior to the UEFA Champions League game between Messi's Barcelona and Napoli which Maradona played for and won two Serie A titles, as well the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup between 1984 and 1991.

According to Maradona, Messi won't be able to match his feat in the Italian Serie A if he joined his rival in the league.

“Messi arrived at (Napoli stadium) San Paolo in decline,” Maradona told Spanish newspaper AS.

“Messi has not lived the life I have. Leo could play extraordinarily in Naples, but he would not be able to do what I did. Let’s be clear about that.”

Messi has been considered a rival to the title of Argentina's greatest player which many believe Maradona holds with an edge for leading the country to World Cup success in 1986.