mobanmarketAsuncion: Argentina star Lionel Messi was banned from playing for his national team for three months and fined $50,000 (Dh183,645) on Friday by CONMEBOL after he heavily criticised the South American football governing body during the Copa America.
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The 32-year-old Barcelona forward had accused CONMEBOL of “corruption” after he was sent off against Chile during the third-place play-off during the tournament in Brazil, which ended last month.
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Messi was angered by two incidents during the June-July Copa hosted by bitter rivals Brazil.
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Argentina were denied two penalty claims in their 2-0 semi-final defeat to the hosts, after which Messi claimed Brazil were “managing a lot in CONMEBOL these days.”
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And when he was harshly dismissed in the next game, which Argentina went on to win 2-1, he couldn’t contain his anger.
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“Corruption and the referees are preventing people from enjoying the football and they’re ruining it a bit,” Messi said.
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He was given his marching orders after a first-half scuffle with Chile captain Gary Medel in which television pictures suggested he’d done little wrong.
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The CONMEBOL statement on its website didn’t specify why Messi was being punished but said it was related to articles 7.1 and 7.2 of its disciplinary regulations.
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One such clause refers to “offensive, insulting behavior or making defamatory protests of any kind”.
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Another clause mentions “breaching the decisions, directives or orders of the judicial bodies.”
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The ban means only that Messi will miss a handful of friendly matches as Argentina’s next competitive fixture is not until the South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar begin in March.
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However, he has already received a one-game ban from CONMEBOL for his red card against Chile meaning he’ll miss the first of those.
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Argentina have two friendlies lined up in the United States in September against Chile and Mexico and another in October away to Germany.
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Messi would miss all three of those but be free to play for his country again in November.
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