Julio Cesar, the goalkeeper of the Brazilian men's national soccer team admitted on Sunday that he was a little harsh on President Lula.

The goalie stated on Friday that the president should resign and turn Argentinean. The remarks came after President Lula stated that he believes Lionel Messi, the forward of the Argentinean national soccer team, is the best player in the world.

"I would publicly like to apologize to the president. I think that he also owes all Brazilians an apology as well. In my opinion, I think he went a little too far. I was a little harsh on him, but I was upset," said Julio Cesar from the hotel where the national team is staying in Santiago, Chile.

The most upsetting statement from the president was his praise to the Argentinean national team. The president said last Thursday, "When I see Messi lose the ball, I see him run right after the ball to either recuperate the ball or commit a foul. The Brazilian players lose the ball and immediately cross their arms."

"We beat Argentina twice in the American Cup. In previous World Cups, Brazil appeared in three finals (1994, 1998 and 2002) and won twice. Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldo Gaucho and Kaka were selected as the best players in the world. I don't think that anyone should forget about what Brazil has done. The example is Brazil and not Argentina," added Julio Cesar.

Source: Xinhua