Lionel Messi has been called a lot of things during his remarkable career but a “possessed dwarf” with “the face of the devil” was not one of them until he played for Inter Miami.
That was the insult hurled after a bust-up inside the tunnel after Miami had lost to Mexico side Monterrey in the Concacaf Champions Cup last week.
Monterrey’s assistant coach, Nicolás Sánchez, has since apologised for his role in the argument, after audio leaked of him making the disparaging remarks.
Monterrey, whose head coach Fernando Ortiz had also publicly questioned whether the Major League Soccer side received preferential treatment from match officials because of Messi’s superstar status, beat Miami 2-1 in the first-leg of the tie.
“Everything that surrounds Messi can lead to sporting and non-sporting decisions,” Ortiz said. “I am concerned about the environment, football is business, business does not go the way of Monterrey.”
But things boiled over after the match with USA Today reporting there had been an angry row involving Messi, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez and Miami coach Tata Martino in a mixed zone outside the visitors’ dressing room.
The argument allegedly began when Miami’s players, who had been shown six yellow cards and a red during the bad-tempered game, had approached match officials to complain, prompting players and staff from Monterrey to also get involved.
Audio of Sánchez discussing the confrontation leaked through Fox Sports MX. “The dwarf was possessed, he had the face of the devil,” Sánchez said.
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