A hell of a night.
Lionel Messi, superstar and captain of FC Barcelona, was excluded a few seconds before the end of extra time in the final of the Spanish Supercup, lost 3-2 to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday in Seville, the first red card of his career at the Barça.
A few seconds before the final whistle (120th), Messi slapped Basque striker Asier Villalibre with his right hand, after the two players clung.
The referee, Gil Manzano, went to watch the action on the video screen, then returned to the pitch to send a direct red card to Lionel Messi, probably frustrated after a half-hearted performance.
Red card for Messi ... # lequipeFOOTpic.twitter.com / a9sGVUPjmJ
- the L'Équipe channel (@lachainelequipe) January 17, 2021
A historic fact for Barça and for the six-time Ballon d'Or: this is the first exclusion in Messi's career in an official match with Barça, with whom he played 753 matches.
Messi has, however, already been excluded twice with the Argentina selection, in his debut and in the Copa America semi-final against Chile in 2019. According to the Spanish statistician Alexis Martin-Tamayo, Messi had been excluded for the last time with the blaugrana jersey fifteen years ago (in 2005), but it was during a match of the Spanish 3rd division, between Pena Sport and the reserve team of FC Barcelona.
Asked about this gesture of frustration from Lionel Messi at a post-match press conference, Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman dodged the question: “We discussed it, he said he felt able to start.
He held on during the match, he gave the maximum, ”he said, after Messi missed the semi-final due to muscle pain in his left thigh.
The Argentine superstar will now have to wait to see what will be the sanction that will fall to him for this red card.
Depending on the number of suspension matches he will be sanctioned, Messi will miss out on the Spanish league and Copa del Rey matches.
The strong words of Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann (FC Barcelona striker, author of a double in the defeat against Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Spanish Supercup on Sunday in Seville, on BarçaTV): “We are sad, nervous, embarrassed ... everything it.
When you lose a final, you get all the bad feelings that can be.
We know that Marcelino's teams (Bilbao coach) are working very well.
Athletic Bilbao believed in it until the last minute and they played very well.
(On the goals conceded) I think we defended badly.
We did not speak.
These are very important details that determine the outcome of a match.
When the ball goes or when you have to start running, someone has to shout.
Sometimes we shout and sometimes not ... "
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Spanish Supercup: despite a double from Griezmann, Barça loses against Bilbao