LIONEL MESSI squared up to angry Barcelona fans at Liverpool airport after being abused over his side’s humiliating Champions League exit last night, according to reports in Spain. Mundo Deportivo report that the Barca star got into the altercation just hours after crashing out of the tournament. The incident is said to have happened at […]
LIONEL MESSI squared up to angry Barcelona fans at Liverpool airport after being abused over his side’s humiliating Champions League exit last night, according to reports in Spain.
Mundo Deportivo report that the Barca star got into the altercation just hours after crashing out of the tournament.
The incident is said to have happened at around midnight.
Messi missed the Barcelona team coach after the 4-0 defeat, as the skipper was tested by anti-doping officials at Anfield.
He arrived separately from the rest of the squad, with his personal security guard and manager Pepe Costa.
At the security checkpoint a small group of fans are said to have confronted Messi.
The report states that Messi “faced them” before being dragged away by Costa, to avoid a more serious situation.
Another set of fans close by are said to have applauded Messi as he passed through security.
Barcelona suffered one of the worst defeats in their history as they blew a 3-0 first-leg lead and saw Jurgen Klopp’s side storm into the final.
The Spanish press dubbed the defeat the “biggest embarrassment in history”, with Marca describing the loss as an “historic failure” and AS labelling it a “bloodbath”.
After the stunning defeat, Barcelona wasted little time in making their departure from Anfield.
But they left Messi behind, after he had been summoned by Uefa officials to provide a urine sample.
Messi cut a lonely figure as he trudged past the mixed zone, with all his team-mates waiting at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had little influence on the game, as Jurgen Klopp set up the perfect game-plan for his team to dominate from start to finish.
Messi’s strike partner Luis Suarez slammed his team’s defending.
The former Liverpool hero said: “For their fourth goal we looked like schoolboys, we have to be ready for all the criticism that is going to rain down on us now.
“We are very sad, we are in a lot of pain, we feel this pain even though we are professionals.
“We have to do a lot of self criticism because this is the second time that the same thing has happened to us.
“We cannot commit the same mistake two years in a row, there are many things we need to consider and think about.
“They (Liverpool) did what they wanted to do, which was to score early. They believed from the first minute to the last.
“I do not know if it’s a matter of attitude, but we’re in Barcelona, we can not get two goals in a row. The fourth is a goal by kids.”
