Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi fined for neck grab as referee receives six-month ban for autograph request

Inter Miami‘s Lionel Messi has skilled a dramatic originate to the 2025 season after he was fined for a neck grab and a referee was banned following a request for the Argentine’s signature.

Messi has been punished for an incident with Unique York City FC’s assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy following Saturday’s clash at Chase Stadium.

Inter Miami performed nearly all of their MLS opener with 10 males after Tomas Aviles was brushed aside in the Twenty third minute, no longer prolonged after he had opened the scoring.

NYCFC scored two targets to flip the sport of their favour, before Messi supplied an assist for Telasco Segovia to gain an equaliser in the tenth minute of stoppage time.

Messi was concerned on an replace of phrases with the referee Alexis Da Silva after the sport, and as he began to affect his methodology off the pitch, he was seen on camera in a confrontation with Ballouchy, inserting his devoted hand on the motivate of the coach’s neck.

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MLS verify Messi fine

MLS released a assertion on Tuesday to enlighten that a disciplinary committee has punished Messi with an ‘undisclosed’ fine for the incident.

The assertion read: “The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy following the conclusion of Inter Miami’s match against New York City FC on February 22.”

The identical committee also confirmed that Messi’s Inter Miami teammate, Luis Suarez, has also been fined for an altercation at half of time of the MLS clash.

In a identical incident to Messi’s, Suarez grabbed the neck of Chicago Fire defender Birk Risa following the half of-time whistle.

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Referee receives ban for Messi autograph request

Messi was concerned on one more incident in the most essential leg of Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against Carrying Kansas City on February 19.

Referee Ortiz Nava asked Messi on the last whistle of the 1-0 derive if he would per chance per chance additionally like an autograph for a member of the family with particular wants.

In a subsequent assertion, CONCACAF said that the referee’s behaviour “does not align with the Confederation’s Code of Conduct for match officials.”

The assertion added that Nava “has acknowledged his mistake, apologised for the incident, and accepted the disciplinary action CONCACAF has applied.”

In conserving with ESPN, Nava has been suspended for six months by CONCACAF, even though he is collected licensed to officiate his domestic league, Liga MX.

Inter Miami subsequently prevailed in the 2nd leg of their Champions Cup tie, with Messi and Suarez getting on the scoresheet in a 3-1 home victory on Tuesday evening.

As a results of the 4-1 aggregate derive, Javier Mascherano‘s side like region up a last-16 tie with Jamaican side Cavalier.

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