Lionel Messi going through prolonged suspension for hitting opponent

After dropping the Spanish Super Cup ultimate, Barcelona can also be at risk of dropping Lionel Messi for an prolonged interval after he hit an opponent towards the tip of the match.
Messi might be suspended for as much as 12 video games for the crimson card he acquired within the ultimate minutes of his staff’s 3-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao in Seville on Sunday.
After passing the ball out to the left flank, Messi swung his proper arm towards the pinnacle of Athletic ahead Asier Villalibre as they ran ahead towards the field. Villalibre instantly fell to the bottom and Messi was given his first crimson card in 753 appearances for Barcelona.
Referee Gil Manzano mentioned in his match report that Messi hit his opponent with “excessive force” whereas the ball was not close to him.
Read | Explained: Messi’s crimson card and his rising frustration at Barcelona
The Spanish soccer federation’s competitions committee will determine on the costs towards Messi, and the participant’s eventual suspension might vary from one to a few matches or from 4 to 12 matches, relying on how extreme the federation considers the incident.
Barcelona was already making ready its protection whatever the expenses that might be introduced by the federation towards its participant.
If discovered responsible, Messi will probably be suspended for matches within the Spanish league or the Copa del Rey. Barcelona is within the spherical of 32 of the Copa del Rey and trails Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid within the league.
Messi was visibly pissed off because the match went on and Barcelona struggled to get better from its deficit towards Athletic. The Catalan membership twice relinquished leads, together with conceding a Ninetieth-minute equalizer scored by Villalibre. Antoine Griezmann scored each Barcelona targets, with Messi helping within the first one.
Watch: Messi sees crimson as Athletic Bilbao beat Barcelona to say Super Cup glory
The defeat value Barcelona an opportunity to finish a title drought that has lingered from final season, the membership’s first with no title since 2007-08.
While it was Messi’s first crimson card for his membership, he has been despatched off twice whereas enjoying for Argentina’s nationwide staff, together with a couple of seconds into his debut in a pleasant towards Hungary in 2005. The different time was within the 2019 Copa America in a match towards Chile. He was additionally despatched off as soon as whereas enjoying for Barcelona’s “B” staff.
Messi, who requested to depart the membership within the offseason however had his request denied, is having a mean season in comparison with earlier years, having scored 14 targets in 22 matches with Barcelona. He was removed from his greatest on Sunday regardless of serving to arrange the staff’s first aim.
Messi had been uncertain to play within the ultimate due to an unspecified health situation that had induced coach Ronald Koeman to depart him out of the semifinal towards Real Sociedad on Wednesday when Barcelona prevailed in a penalty shootout.
Barcelona’s subsequent match is on Thursday at Cornellà within the spherical of 32 of the Copa del Rey.