Monterrey coach calls Lionel Messi  a ‘possessed dwarf’ with ‘the face of the devil’ in leaked audio before offering questionable apology while omitting Inter Miami star’s name

Lionel Messi was called a “possessed midget” with “the face of the devil” by a Monterrey assistant coach in leaked audio following a tunnel confrontation at last week’s CONCACAF Champions Cup match in Fort Lauderdale. , Florida.

Monterrey assistant coach Nico Sánchez has since apologized for his comments, although he forgot to mention Messi’s name, directing his regret to Inter Miami coach Tata Martino, whom he referred to as a “poor fool” in the filtered audio.

The confrontation took place before Monterrey’s 2-1 victory over Inter Miami in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals.

Although Messi was ruled out before the game with a hamstring injury, he, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez and Martino were reportedly in a mixed zone confrontation with Monterrey players and coach outside the visiting locker room.

As reported by USA TodayThe argument arose when Inter Miami players approached the referees in the tunnel after a match in which their team received six yellow cards and one red card compared to only three cautions for Monterrey.

Since the confrontation in the tunnel, audio of Sánchez discussing the altercation in the locker room was leaked to Fox Sports MX.

“The dwarf was possessed, he had the face of a devil,” said Sánchez. ‘He put his fist next to my face and says, ‘Who do you think you are?’ But since I didn’t look at him, he was looking away, I never responded, he made things worse.

‘And Tata Martino, what a poor fool, had him in front of me saying: ‘You fool, are you going to cry?’ Fool, are you going to cry? What a fool! All those videos, they probably deleted them all because it makes them look bad.

‘What they did was really serious. “They want to dirty the field.”

Since the audio was broadcast, Sánchez has apologized on social networks, although he forgot to mention Messi.

“As I do not know the Inter coach, Gerardo (Tata) Martino, and I referred to him in a disrespectful way, I apologize,” Sánchez said. ‘I am as Argentine as all of them and I will always defend my club. I’m here to show my face and take charge.’

Things were already tense between the two clubs before last week’s match. At one point, Monterrey coach Fernando Ortiz accused the leaders of favoring Messi’s team.

“Everything that surrounds Messi can lead to sporting and non-sporting decisions,” Ortiz said. “I am concerned about the environment, football is business, business is not going like it is in Monterrey.”

The two teams will meet again on Wednesday night in the second leg of the quarterfinals at the BBVA Stadium in Guadalupe.

Messi appears likely to play on Wednesday after appearing in each of Inter Miami’s last games: a 2-2 draw with Colorado in which he scored one goal and took five total shots.