Aguero rejects Maradona comparisons

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero does not want to be compared to Diego Maradona, despite the obvious parallels between the two strikers.

Maradona is Aguero’s father-in-law, and while Aguero appreciates the similarities between the two in aspects of their play, he is uncomfortable with the constant comparisons to an Argentinean legend of the game.

“I find it embarrassing when people compare me to Maradona. How can they? It’s disrespectful. There is only one Maradona,” Aguero told The Sunday Mirror.

“People who say this just have no idea, they don’t know what they are talking about. And you won’t find me ever fuelling comparisons with him.”

“Diego was a complete one-off,” he continued, “an all-time great who can never be matched and will never have an equal on the football pitch.”

“I know I can play, but you will never find me saying that I’m the new Maradona. He was a genius with a ball at his feet, a leader and a total inspiration to his ¬team-mates.”

“No-one, I repeat no-one, could have transformed teams like he did all those years ago.”

“Like so many, I have nothing but respect for what he achieved.”

However, while Aguero does accept that there are some similarities in their footballing styles, he is keen to put this down to cultural reasons rather than any inherent personal traits.

“It’s fair to say we have a similar approach to the game,” he said. “We always look to invent, take risks and make things happen in the attacking third of the field.”

“Both of us love to dribble, quicken the play and react fast out on the pitch.”

“There are other things too, as each of us plays with raw emotion, each of us is driven by a burning desire to win.”

“Then again, all Argentine professionals are highly motivated and competitive.”

“Ultimately, though, Maradona was a genius, the world’s greatest ever player and a legend, while I’m just an apprentice.”

Manchester City face Bolton on Sunday in their second Premier League game of the season, and Aguero will be looking to continue the form that saw him score twice and provide another in his top-flight debut.