Sunday Mirror
GABRIEL Batistuta expects a hostile reception when Argentina arrive for Wednesday's friendly with England at Wembley.
But he simply shrugs his shoulders at the prospect, saying: "We know the English hate us, but so what - it's not a problem for us."
The Fiorentina striker feels English fans still hold the present side responsible for the infamous Diego Maradona 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 World Cup.
He says: "I can understand them being disappointed after France 98. But they are going a bit far with the game in Mexico. None of the present side were involved, and the English still carry on like we were all responsible.
"How can anyone take a game of football to such an extreme? You should take defeat gracefully - to be eaten up with hatred does you no good."
"Football is a very strange game. If David Beckham had not been sent off in France we would have won easily against 11 men. But it goes to show the qualities the English have, that with 10 men they can make life harder for us than they did with a full team."
"I haven't seen too much of England since the World Cup. I know there is a great deal of expectation on their shoulders, sometimes unfairly in my view. It doesn't matter who they are playing, people still expect them to be a major threat."
"We have had much the same. And when you lose, all hell breaks loose and someone has to take the blame, right or wrong. It's a side of football I cannot tolerate. Of course you have to live with pressure, but sometimes that pressure is unrealistic."
Mention of pressure brings Batistuta on to Beckham. He says: "There is a great deal of talk that he may come to Italy, but that would be a big mistake. From a football point of view he would probably do very well in Serie A, but his life is about more than football.
"If he came to Italy, his life wouldn't be worth living. The pressure would be incredible. Sometimes it's difficult for me - but I'm not married to a famous pop star, I have a normal life outside football. Beckham's life would be destroyed out here."
"If I was him, I'd stay in Manchester. He just seems to get better and better playing for United." As for Wednesday's game, Batistuta insists: "There are no friendly games. When you are playing international football, you play to win."
"I think the English will be surprised by Argentina - we are a much better side than the one they played in the World Cup. The players will treat this game with the same importance as the World Cup encounter in France 98, that is how seriously they take their football.
"Beating England, like Brazil, is always nice. Not because we can make them even more angry, but because other people will look at the result and that will make them fear us. But I don't think we have anything to prove."
"I enjoyed my Wembley goal against Arsenal in the Champions League because it meant so much to Fiorentina. But a goal against England, the winning goal - that would be special!"
