YEREVAN. – Azerbaijani press is flooded with news about Argentina national team and Barcelona leading footballer Lionel Messi, according to Past (Fact) newspaper of Armenia.

“The Azerbaijanis’ brains do not understand the fact that the best footballer in the world has refused without reason to play a friendly game with Azerbaijan, in Argentina’s [national team]. And that, in the case when, according to some data, Azerbaijan had offered 8 million [US] dollars if Messi were to play for at least 60 minutes; [but] Messi refused. Heads of the Argentina [national] team had to reject the offer. Instead, on June 9, Argentina will play in Israel, with a local team, for 2 million dollars; [and] Messi gladly agreed.

“This story was months ago, but Azerbaijani press again touched upon the issue in recent days. They do not find any explanation as to how the best footballer in the world can choose 2 million over 8 million [dollars]. The Azeris even started digging into Messi’s past, ‘reached’ until his birthplace Rosário [town in Argentina] to be convinced whether or not there is Armenian blood in his roots. Otherwise, why should he be ‘disgusted’ by Baku?” wrote Past.