Diego Maradona labelled the rules for FIFA's World Player of the Year vote as "stupid" after he was banned from choosing Lionel Messi. "I had to choose somebody else, knowing that Lionel Messi is the best player in the world," the Argentina coach told reporters on Friday, adding that he had voted for Manchester United and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo instead.

Maradona said the rules banned coaches from voting for players from their own country.

"Whoever thought that up is stupid," he said. "It's incredible, I voted for Ronaldo when I wanted to vote for Messi but I couldn't."

Argentina's soccer team head coach Diego Maradona gestures to his fans at a stadium in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata in this December 7, 2008.

Ronaldo was named FIFA World Player of the Year on Monday while Messi was second and Fernando Torres third.

The FIFA award is based on votes by the national team coaches and captains of the 208 member associations of world soccer's governing body.

Maradona was speaking after a two-week trip around Europe in which he visited a number of Argentina's top players, their clubs and coaches.

Maradona heaped praise on Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho. "He's a sensational person," Maradona said. "He's somebody I look up to."

Maradona also thanked Barcelona president Joan Laporta and coach Pep Guardiola, saying they had agreed to release Messi for the friendly against France on February 11.

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