# Diego Simeone football commentary > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/diego-simeone-football-commentary > Updated: 2026-10-09T11:50:00.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2. During a press conference ahead of Atlético de Madrid’s LaLiga match against Alavés, manager Diego Simeone addressed the debate regarding whether Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer. Simeone declined to choose one over the other, calling the comparison a ‘demagogic game’ and stating that Argentines are grateful to have had both ‘the two best footballers in history.’ Simeone noted that while he had the opportunity to play alongside Maradona, he did not have that same luck with Messi. He praised Messi’s career longevity and conduct, describing his achievements as ‘insuperable’ and noting that maintaining such high levels of respect and professional behavior over a 20 to 25-year career is exceptionally difficult. Beyond technical skill, Simeone emphasized the psychological impact Messi has had on his compatriots, stating that Messi taught Argentines ‘to fight and, when things go wrong, to keep insisting.’ This commentary follows Messi’s recent international retirement after his final appearance for the Argentina national team in a friendly against Benin. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-09: Diego Simeone honors Messi and Maradona as football's best Atlético de Madrid coach Diego Simeone honored Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona as the best in history, praising Messi’s resilience and professional conduct following his international retirement. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/diego-simeone-praises-maradona-and-messi-as-footballs-best ### 2026-09-21: Diego Simeone praises Hansi Flick’s Barcelona performance Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone praised Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona, calling their dominant league form “barbaric” and noting their incredible offensive statistics. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/diego-simeone-praises-hansi-flicks-barcelona-performance --- Cite as: Diego Simeone football commentary. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/diego-simeone-football-commentary