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A somber Diego Maradona said at the post-match conference that his team’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Germany was the hardest day of his life. Maradona likened the defeat to a knockout punch and said that he had no strength left for anything. This was Argentina’s worst defeat on a World Cup stage after Czechoslovakia trounced them 6-1 in the 1958 finals.

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Maradona refused to talk about his future saying that the decision to carry on or not required a lot of thinking and reasoning with his players, family and friends. Argentina have failed to reach the semi finals stage since 1990 in Italy, when they were defeated in the finals by West Germany. Maradona was part of the losing squad that day. Maradona thanked the players and the coaching staff for their efforts. He also defended his under-fire star player Lionel Messi, saying that the Barcelona striker gave it his all and was good throughout the tournament.

Maradona, nonetheless was proud of the brand of football played by Argentina and said, “I have realised as a coach and a player that the football that the Argentine people like is this, searching permanently for goals, playing, rotating. I don’t think Argentina have another style”.

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