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Lionel Messi Denies Insulting...

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Lionel Messi Denies Insulting Assistant Referee With Bizarre Excuse

SPIN 1038
SPIN 1038

12:19 31 Mar 2017


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In case you haven't been paying attention to the trials and tribulations of Lionel Messi for his country in the past week, a lot has gone on.

Earlier in the week, Messi was handed a 4-match international ban by FIFA after he was found to have made insulting statements to the assistant referee in Argentina's game against Chile.

The Barcelona forward was caught making a foul-mouthed tirade in the direction of assistant Dewson Silva in the game, but he has denied the comments were actually aimed at him.

According to the Argentina FA, Messi said: "My comments were never directed at the first assistant, they were comments made to the air."

He'll miss 3 out of Argentina's last 4 games as a result, with his country slipping out of the qualification places in their World Cup qualifying campaign.


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