Messi insulted Milner in Spanish but didn’t know Liverpool midfielder understood him
LIONEL MESSI called James Milner a ‘donkey’ during Liverpool’s Champions League first-leg clash with Barcelona.
The England midfielder had given the Argentine wizard a battering in the first-half of the semi-final clattering him with a particularly heavy challenge just before half-time.
Messi – whose team eventually crashed out to Liverpool in the second-leg – squared up to Milner and gave him a volley of abuse.
Unbeknown to Messi, Milner can speak Spanish and understood every one of the offensive words coming out of his mouth.
According to the Englishman, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner continued his tirade at half-time as they walked down the tunnel.
He was calling me a Burro!
James Milner on Lionel Messi
Milner told the Mail on Sunday: “He wasn’t happy.
“He was giving me plenty in Spanish going down the tunnel at half-time.
“He was calling me ‘burro’ which translates as donkey but I think it’s also used in Spanish football as a general term for someone who goes round kicking people.
“I asked him if he was alright but he wasn’t having it.
“I don’t think he realised I understood his Spanish.”
Despite the offensive tirade, Milner still has respect for one of the greatest players of all time.
LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS
He added: “He said to me: ‘that foul you did, that’s because I nut-megged you.’ But I left him to it at that point and went into the changing room.
“Look I’ve only got admiration for him. He has earned the right to say what he wants.
“The stuff he did in that game, stuff he has done his whole career, it makes him tough to play against.”