FC Barcelona has expressed “surprise and indignation” at FIFA’s
decision to hand forward Lionel Messi a four-match international ban for
verbally abusing a match official in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier
against Chile last week.
Messi was suspended, with a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,160) by football governing body’s disciplinary panel
and is due to miss three more of Argentina’s remaining four World Cup
qualifiers after sitting out the 2-0 defeat against Bolivia on Tuesday.
According to FIFA, the Argentina captain was guilty of “having directed insulting words at an assistant referee.”
But his club, Barcelona has come out in defence of their player.
Barcelona said in the statement, “FC Barcelona expresses its surprise
and indignation at the ex officio action by the FIFA Disciplinary
Committee by suspending the player Leo Messi following the FIFA World
Cup qualifying fixture between Argentina and Chile.
“The club considers the four-match suspension finally imposed on the Argentine player to be unfair and totally disproportionate.
“Finally, FC Barcelona wishes to reiterate its support for Leo Messi,
an exemplary player in terms of conduct both on and off the pitch.”
Credit- Associated Press
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