Image Source : AP Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in the course of the Spanish Supercopa closing soccer match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao at La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 17
After dropping the Spanish Super Cup closing, Barcelona can be at risk of dropping Lionel Messi for an prolonged interval after he hit an opponent towards the top of the match.
Messi may very well be suspended for as much as 12 video games for the pink card he acquired within the closing minutes of his workforce’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 top of Athletic ahead Asier Villalibre as they ran ahead towards the field. Villalibre instantly fell to the bottom and Messi was given his first pink 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.
The Spanish soccer federation’s competitions committee will determine on the fees in opposition to Messi, and the participant’s eventual suspension may vary from one to 3 matches or from 4 to 12 matches, relying on how extreme the federation considers the incident.
Barcelona was already getting ready its protection whatever the expenses that will be offered by the federation in opposition to its participant.
If discovered responsible, Messi can 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 annoyed because the match went on and Barcelona struggled to get well from its deficit in opposition to Athletic. The Catalan membership twice relinquished leads, together with conceding a Ninetieth-minute equalizer scored by Villalibre. Antoine Griezmann scored each Barcelona objectives, with Messi helping within the first one.
The defeat price Barcelona an opportunity to finish a title drought that has lingered from final season, the membership’s first and not using a title since 2007-08.
While it was Messi’s first pink card for his membership, he has been despatched off twice whereas taking part in for Argentina’s nationwide workforce, together with a couple of seconds into his debut in a pleasant in opposition to Hungary in 2005. The different time was within the 2019 Copa America in a match in opposition to Chile. He was additionally despatched off as soon as whereas taking part in for Barcelona’s “B” workforce.
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 objectives in 22 matches with Barcelona. He was removed from his finest on Sunday regardless of serving to arrange the workforce’s first objective.
Messi had been uncertain to play within the closing due to an unspecified health situation that had prompted coach Ronald Koeman to depart him out of the semifinal in opposition to 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.
