Getting away from the day to day havoc that is playing for Barcelona at present should’ve given Lionel Messi some respite from the evident stresses that he has been under this season.
Away with Argentina for national team duties against Paraguay unfortunately did nothing to alter the captain’s mood, and he exploded with rage at the match official after a couple of contentious decisions including having a goal ruled out.
“You’ve already screwed us twice,” he is alleged to have said to Raphael Claus according to MARCA and cited by Football Espana.
He repeated the phrase and adding “it’s incredible, shameful,” for good measure.
Claus had looked at the VAR monitor to review a foul that happened almost 30 seconds before Messi found the net, only for the official to rule it out.
Perhaps his mood wasn’t helped by the fact that his Albiceleste team-mates once again weren’t really ‘at it’ for the full 90 minutes.
With the greatest of respect to Paraguay, they are a team that Argentina should be beating nine times out of 10.