Here is what referee said to Lionel Messi after a clash with Sergio Ramos during El Clasico.
Real Madrid invited Barcelona to Santiago Bernabeu twice in four days, but they the hosts lost on a couple of occasions which has come as a headache for Santiago Solari. The Los Blancos lost the Copa Del Rey Semifinals 3-0 and the La Liga clash’s scoreline read 1-0.
A brace from Luis Suarez and an own goal from Raphael Varane was enough to book a place against Valencia in the Copa Del Rey finals. On Saturday, Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic produced a very good goal after running through the Los Blancos defense to score a goal on Saturday.
However, there was one particular incident which infuriated the Blaugrana fans and players. During the first half, Lionel Messi was brought down by Sergio Ramos who elbowed him on the mouth.
The Argentine was not able to move with pain until the Real Madrid Skipper came and tried to calm things out. Besides, Messi was bleeding inside his mouth, but Ramos pleaded innocence to the referee. A fight erupted between the skipper of both the clubs, but things were calmed down by their teammates.
Now, Spanish program ‘The Day After’, shown on Movistar+ has shed some light on what the official said to Barcelona’s players, as they sought action against Ramos.
The Referee was the center of attraction when he went to Video Assistant Referee (VAR), but the contact was deemed not good enough. When Barcelona players were surrounding the officiate, he said “He has thrown himself” he declared, stating it on more than one occasion.
Post-game, Barca boss Ernesto Valverde refused to be drawn on the incident – which was referred to VAR but saw no sanction towards Ramos – as his side celebrated a second Bernabeu win in four days.
He said: “Leo is fine, he has made a great effort, like everyone.
“The referee? I have not seen anything on TV and I have no idea. It has been a hard, difficult game, a Clasico.”
On the incident, ex-Madrid boss Jose Mourinho told beIN Sport: “I think, in the first half, both teams when they had the ball, they did not hurt the opponent too much.
“There was no intensity on the defensive actions, with everybody playing in a low-medium block. It was not the temperature of a derby, of a Clasico that can settle the title.
“I think Sergio Ramos’ action probably is coming from a player that knows the game has to change.
“And probably he does it with the intention of creating a different temperature for the second half, because the game until then was really soft, in my opinion.”
In the post-match interview, Ramos said that he did not mean to catch Lionel Messi in the process and added that these kinds of collisions occur in football.
“These things happen,” Ramos said about his bust-up with Lionel Messi.
“I didn’t mean to catch him but he has taken it badly, and stayed down on the pitch.”
Barcelona’s defender and man of the match performer Gerard Pique was not also happy with his compatriot Sergio Ramos for that incident.
“He(Messi) had blood on his lips and was assault, but they are gestures that arise because the pulsations are a thousand. The referee and my friend Mateu have seen it, there are Madrid players who hear kicks 25 meters away, but I do not have the capacity to see them from 50.” he said.
Barcelona are already 12 points above Real Madrid in the La Liga table. Santiago Solari and co will shift his focus to the Champions League clash against Ajax on Tuesday.
