Lionel Messi suspended for four games & fined $10,200 for insulting referee
Argentina star
player and captain, Lionel Messi was fined the sum of $10,200 and
suspended for Argentina's next 4 games for using insulting words on a
match official, World football's ruling body, FIFA announced.
Argentina are now third in the South American qualifying standings after Tuesday’s
games. Four teams advance automatically from the region, while the
fifth team faces a playoff against a team from the Oceania region. With
four games remaining, Argentina is a point out of fourth place.
Assistant
referee Emerson Carvalho ruled a foul against Messi in the second half
of last week's Thursday’s game in Chile. Messi strongly disagreed with
the ruling and waved his arms while shouting and hurling abuses at
Carvalho.
FIFA after a thorough investigation found Messi
guilty of insulting the referee as Messi after the game shook the hands
of two officials, but did not shake Carvalho’s hand.
The ban which became effective from the moment it was announced on Tuesday, immediately ensured Messi missed out on Argentina's game with Bolivia on Tuesday
night, a game they lost 2-0. The ban placed on Messi, however does not
apply to his club, Barcelona, but his country's football federation
insists they will appeal the ban.
“The
federation will appeal, as it should,” the team secretary Jorge
Miadosqui told Agence France-Presse. “We feel powerless, surprised.”
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