Edgardo Bauza wants to bring back Lionel Messi into the national team

Buenos Aires, Aug 4: Argentina national football team's newly appointed manager Edgardo Bauza has suggested that he would do his best to persuade star player Lionel Messi to take back his retirement decision and make a comeback.

Lionel Messi had announced his retirement just after the Copa America final 2016, where they lost to Chile in the penalty shootout.

The loss to Chile saw Messi and several other stars hanging their boots. The then manager Gerardo Martino too quit his job.

Bauza was appointed by the AFA on August 2 as the new coach, who left his job as Brazilian club Sao Paulo's manager.

Since taking up the job, Edgardo Bauza addressed the media today (August 4) for the first time where he said: "I am going to speak about football (with Messi). I want to know how he feels, how he felt in that moment when he had to talk and say that phrase. (I want to know) what happened to him for him to come to that conclusion.

"Those of us who have been football players know that frustration can sometimes lead you to make decisions that upset and hurt," said the new coach.

"I still can't imagine the team without Messi. We will know more once we talk with him," added Bauza.

Bauza further suggested that in his first match in charge, star striker Gonzalo Higuain, would be included in the team.

Higuain recently completed a world record transfer from Italian side Napoli to champions Juventus for a 90 million euros.

OneIndia News