Lionel Messi, who scored the only goal in the World cup qualifier match between Argentina and Chile last week from the penalty spot has denied insulting assistant referee as it had been alleged.
He says got angered up because of being penalised for a foul, which resulted in him gesturing angrily to the assistant. However many have come up even Barcelona to question why the forward star has been handed such a hefty ban Barcelona has also released a statement Thursday  March 31, 2017,condemning the four game sanction for their star this means he is missing games of Argentina against Uruguay,Peru,Venezuela and Ecuador.
However, Messi released a statement which read: “I vehemently deny having offended assistant referee one during the game against Chile, and more so do not believe that my conduct falls under article 57 of FIFA’s disciplinary code. Assistant referee 1, of Brazilian nationality, perfectly understood what I was saying, so much so that we spoke amicably and at no time did my words offend or insult the official”. Statement reads in part.
Adding “If any of my words made assistant referee 1 uncomfortable, they were never directed at him but rather to the air and for that, I apologise. I hereby expressly request for the disciplinary case to be dismissed without any sanction against me”.
