Football

Home page

Football

Lionel Messi should have been sent off for his outburst in game with Alaves, says Spanish referee

02 November 2020 05:16 (UTC +04:00)

Barcelona has been unable to secure three points in La Liga for four consecutive matches, APA reports citing Sputnik.

The last time the Catalan giants won in La Liga was a month ago when it beat Celta Vigo 3-0. However, things are going well for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

Lionel Messi was spared during Barcelona’s recent game against Deportivo Alaves, said former Spanish referee Juan Andujar Oliver. In an interview with local radio station Radio MARCA, Oliver said that the football superstar should have been sent off the pitch after his angry outburst during the game. During Saturday’s game, Messi kicked the ball and narrowly missed the referee after the latter denied Barcelona a penalty and a free-kick on the edge of the box. Following the outburst, the referee showed Messi a yellow card.

"He should have been sent off, even though the ball didn't hit referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez. With that action, he wanted to intimidate the referee and that deserves a straight red”, Juan Andujar Oliver told Radio MARCA.

Many social media users sided with the referee, saying that any other player would have been given a red card in a similar situation.