Did Maradona teach Messi how to take free-kicks?

According to Fernando Signorini, who worked as a physiotherapist for the Argentinian national team, the Barcelona star owes his prowess at taking free-kicks to none other than the legend himself, Diego Armando Maradona.

“In 2009, we were in Marseille for a friendly match,” Signorini wrote in his book ‘Fútbol, llamado a la rebelión.’

“[After the end of the training session] Lionel placed the ball outside the area a little bit to the left and when he kicked it, his shot went wide.

“He made a gesture of frustration and started walking to the dressing room but I stopped him and said to him ‘tell me something, a player like you is simply going to shower after this rubbish? Take another ball and try it again´.

“Then Maradona jumped in and put his arms around Messi’s shoulders and said: ‘Come on kiddo, let’s try this again. Put the ball on this spot and listen to me well – do not pull your foot from the ball so fast because when you do that, the ball does not know what it is you want from her’.

“Messi kicked the ball and sent it right underneath the cross bar. He was convinced he would follow this method for the rest of his career.”