DIEGO Maradona’s criticism of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo inspires a film, Paul Pogba’s new hairstyle, Deco’s new playing gig, and the Bundesliga’s record TV rights price.

All that and more in Friday Paper Talk!

MARADONA CRITICISES MESSI

Diego Maradona looks to have made peace with one football legend but he could have started up a feud with another – countryman Lionel Messi.

Appearing with Pele at a Euro 2016 preview event, the Brazilian asked Maradona if he knew the Barcelona superstar personally, prompting a shock response from the 1986 World Cup winner.

“He’s a really good person but he has no personality. He lacks the character to be a leader,” Maradona said of his compatriot.

Pele responded, saying “Ah, I get it, he’s not like we were back in the days. In the ’70s, we [Brazil] had really good players like Rivellino, Gerson, Tostao.

“Not like Argentina now, which depends only on Messi. He [Maradona] is saying that Messi is a good player, there’s no doubt about it, but he has no personality.”

Maradona’s assertion may perhaps be greeted favourably by some in Argentina. Messi’s commitment to his country has at times been questioned, with the forward having struggled to replicate his extraordinary club performances when playing for the Albiceleste.

The 28-year-old has twice lost in the final of the Copa America and once in the decider of the World Cup, with an Olympic gold medal in 2008 his only significant international honour. He missed Argentina’s opening game of the Copa America, a 2-1 win over holder Chile, due to a back injury.

RONALDO INSPIRES PORNOGRAPHIC FILM

While Cristiano Ronaldo will no doubt be looking to inspire Portugal to Euro 2016 glory in France, it appears the Real Madrid star has also inspired a new pornographic film in his homeland.

Yep, you read that right.

Production company Pornlowcost are set to release a motion picture entitled ‘Las Ronaldas’, according to Portuguese publication Correio da Manha. Actresses Scarlett Johnson (not to be confused with Scarlett Johansson from The Avengers), Sónia Kel and Diana will share the silver screen with male leads Frank Stone and Alex Pinna. No word yet as to which of Stone or Pinna will portray the three-time Ballon d’Or winner.

“Ronaldo is a player known around the world and this will help us to sell the film beyond our borders,” Carlos Ferreira, who is leading up the project, said. “Whether attacking or defending, the Portuguese porn actors and actresses are as good as any rival anywhere.”

It is understood Ronaldo won’t be participating in the film, nor has he given the production his blessing.

EVER WANTED TO BE CRISTIANO FOR THE DAY?

Nike has had a long and bright history of producing excellent soccer commercials. From the original “Joga Bonito” to 2014’s “Winner Stays,” they’ve rarely missed the mark. And ahead of Euro 2016’s kick-off, the apparel giant has delivered yet again with “The Switch.”

As with most Nike spots, “The Switch” features Cristiano Ronaldo (solely in his Portugal kit, of course, because Real Madrid are sponsored by Adidas). Harry Kane, Anthony Martial, Ross Barkley, a bevy of Ronaldo’s Portugal teammates and other soccer stars also make cameos in the spot.

We’ve all dreamed of becoming our favourite sports superstars, if even for a day. But anybody that’s read or seen “Freaky Friday” (the original > the remake) knows that if it actually happened, there would be unexpected consequences. The fictional Charlie Lee and Ronaldo have to put in the required work to succeed -- like developing a first touch, or the language skills to find where you parked your yacht.

Originally appeared on Fox Sports US.

POGBA’S NEW HAIRSTYLE

France star Paul Pogba has already given us a taste of what we can expect from Euro 2016 in what we’re now affectionately calling the “Summer of Pogba.”

Not one to shy away from outlandish hairstyles, the French midfielder revealed a patriotic new hairdo at training on Thursday. It is not disappointing:

That’s a Gallic rooster (or “coq gaulois”), the unofficial symbol of France, buzzed into the side of his head. And not just that, but it’s dyed to match the French Football Federation’s logo. It’s pretty awesome.

Originally appeared on Fox Sports US.

NO EURO MATCHES IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS

Bar and restaurant owners in France will not be allowed to set up TV screens outside their businesses during Euro 2016.

The move is aimed at improving security during the month-long tournament, with French authorities expecting fewer people to gather outside official fan zones if outdoor screens are banned.

France has been under a state of emergency since last November’s terrorist attacks in Paris during which 130 people were killed across the city, including at a rock concert, on the terraces of bars and restaurants and outside the Stade de France, the stadium where the tournament will begin on Friday.

Fan zones are typically in squares or parks near city centres, allowing supporters to watch a game on a big screen. Extra security measures, including reinforced video surveillance, have been added to secure the fan zones.

Originally appeared on Sky Sports UK.

DECO JOINS INDIAN FUSTAL LEAGUE

Former Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Deco has signed up to play in India in the world’s first-ever multi-national futsal league.

The franchise-based Premier Futsal league kicks off across eight Indian cities next month, with each side featuring one marquee footballer, three international futsal players and one Indian futsaller.

Two-time Champions League winner Deco, 38, is the first marquee footballer to confirm his participation in the league, with the forthcoming player draft determining which franchise he will play for.

Originally appeared on Sky Sports UK.

BUNDESLIGA SCORES RECORD PRICE FOR TV RIGHTS

The Bundesliga sold the broadcasting rights for four seasons at a record price, in what it said was an important step towards ensuring the “future viability” of German football.

Bidders including pay TV giants Sky and Eurosport as well as public television ZDF stumped up an average total of at least 1.4 billion euros ($AU2.13 billion) per season for the right to screen live first and second division league matches domestically and internationally.

The Bundesliga said sales of the domestic television rights alone for the 2017-18 to 2020-21 seasons have reached 4.64 billion euros (about $AU7 billion) so far, with the average price per season 85 per cent above current contracts.

PESCARA SEAL PROMOTION TO ITALY’S SERIE A

Pescara won promotion to the Italian top flight on Thursday after completing a 3-1 home and away playoff victory over Trapani to join second division champions Crotone and runners-up Cagliari in Serie A next season.

Having last featured in Serie A in the 2012-2013 season, Pescara finished fourth before the playoff for the final promotion place.

The club are currently coached by Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning player Massimo Oddo, who was also in AC Milan’s 2007 Champions League winning side.

Carpi, Frosinone and Verona were the three sides relegated from Serie A this season.

CHINA’S EVERGRANDE FINED $3.8 MILLION FOR KIT SWAP

China’s Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao must pay almost $4 million in damages to automaker Dongfeng Nissan for failing to wear kit sponsored by the company, state media said Thursday.

The two-time AFC Champions League winners said Wednesday they had received a ruling from Guangzhou Huadu District People’s Court to cough up 24,778,645 yuan ($3.8 million) in fines, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Dongfeng Nissan, a joint venture between Japan’s Nissan Motors and China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation headquartered in Wuhan, sued the team for changing kit during the second part of the 2015 AFC Champions League final, where they beat the UAE’s Al Ahli 1-0, Xinhua said.

The company had paid more than $16 million to have Evergrande’s official red shirts emblazoned with its Chinese name for the 2014-2015 season, according to Xinhua.

In the final, however, the jerseys were swapped out for ones bearing the name of Evergrande Life, an insurance company affiliated with the team’s majority shareholders, instead.