LUQUE, Paraguay, July 6: Argentina striker Martin Palermo's dubious achievement of missing three penalties in one match caused shares in his club side Boca Juniors to dive Monday - and brought him a mixture of ridicule and sympathy from fellow players and press alike, reports AFP.

Palermo's triple blunder, thought to be unprecedented at international level, in his side's Group C 3-0 Copa America defeat by Colombia led to a 4.68 percent fall in the value of shares in the Argentinian champions much coveted by Spanish clubs he is seen as the club's most bankable asset.

Ironically "El Loco" (the madman) Palermo's two goals in Argentina's opening win over Ecuador had seen shares in the Buenos Aires club rise by 3.5 percent.

As historians tried to establish if any other player had missed three spotkicks in a match at international level, the biggest names in South American soccer had their say on the incident that has provided arguably the biggest talking point of the already exciting Copa so far.

Argentina's most famous footballer Diego Maradona said: "At least he had the guts and courage to ask to take them.

Rather than blame Palermo one has to ask who is running the Argentine set-up (coach Marcelo) Bielsa or (Argentine Federation president Julio) Grondona?"

Brazil and Inter Milan striker Ronaldo was astonished that the striker had volunteered to take the third penalty after not even getting his first two attempts on target.

Ronaldo said: "I have never seen such a big example of persistence. This insistence (on taking the penalty) will mark him a lot."

Brazil coach Wanderley Lux-emburgo said: This will mark him forever because he will remain known as a player who missed three penalties in an important football tournament."

Argentina coach Bielsa was more sympathetic to his striker saying: "He has the optimism of a goalscorer but he could not score."

Colombian player Oscar Cordoba, a team-mate of Palermo's at Boca, mused: "I was very anxious because it is not going well for my teammate Martin Palermo but on the other hand I was celebrating an important victory for my

Argentinian striker Abel Balbo. who plays for Italian side Parma, said: "It is incredible to miss three penalties in the same match, poor Palermo, he won't be able to sleep but these things happen in football."

The media also had its say. Argentinian paper "El equipo de El Grafico". said merely: "Palermo, sad story."

The Uruguayan media was scathing with La Republlcca describing the player as the Copa "laughing stock", saying "he does not know how to kick a ball". With Argentina due to face Uruguay in their last Group C match Palermo could yet make his River Plate neighbours pay for that remark.

Uruguay goalkeeper Fabian "Hector* Carini, who could find himself squaring up to Palermo's next penalty - if he is allowed to take any more, said: "Missing three penalties, it could have happened to any one."