Batistuta Defends Higuain

By Max Wise

Argentina great Gabriel Batistuta has defended Gonzalo Higuain’s Argentina record after the Chelsea striker called time on his international career with a heavy heart earlier in the week.

Higuain made 75 appearances for the Albiceleste, scoring 31 goals in the process, but he is fondly remembered for the chances he missed in three major finals for the national team.

Higuain spurned great chances in the FIFA World Cup final loss to Germany in Brazil 2014, as well as the Copa America final defeats to Chile in 2015 and 2016.

”People remember the goals I missed and not the ones I scored,” Higuain told Fox Sports following his retirement.

“I’m sure everyone celebrated the goal against Belgium [the winner in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinal].

“When you criticize someone maliciously it hurts everyone. I saw how much my family suffered, but I gave everything for the national team.

“It’s one thing to say the national team did not achieve our objectives but when people talk about failure it’s very hard.

However, Batistuta, whose 54 goals for the Argentina national team is only bettered by Lionel Messi, has leapt to the defence of Higuain and says the striker has been mistreated.

“It seems to me he’s been a great striker,” Batistuta said of Higuain. “Respected all over the world. And treated in a bad way in Argentina.

“We are talking about the fact that maybe strikers miss 200 goals, but then make one, two or three goals in the right moments, and so they are always remembered for those few ones they scored, compared to the ones they failed.

“And I said: ‘there’s also the opposite’. Higuain scored 200 goals, and missed three at the wrong time; and in Argentina, unfortunately, he is remembered for that.

“When he is, instead, a great strike, one of the best we’ve seen in the last years on a global scale.”