Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has been banned for one game and fined £1,200 by South America’s football governing body, CONMEBOL.
This is coming after the Barcelona star commented about the federation’s corruption during the recently concluded COPA America.
Messi was sent off against Chile in the Copa America third-place playoff after clashing with Gary Medel and afterwards alleged that the tournament had been fixed in favour of the hosts Brazil.
He called the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) ‘corrupt’ and did not attend the ceremony to pick up his medal.
Messi said : ‘There is no doubt, the whole thing is set up for Brazil.
‘I did not want to be part of this corruption, we shouldn’t have to be part of this disrespect we suffered during the Copa America.
‘We could have gone further but we weren’t allowed into the final. Corruption, referees and all the rest stopped people from enjoying the football.
‘I always tell the truth and I’m honest, that is what keeps me calm if what I say has repercussions that is not my business.’
CONMEBOL said on Tuesday that Messi’s comments were ‘unacceptable’ but decided not to impose a tougher sanction on the five-times world player of the year.
