‘Stupid, come here’: Lionel Messi ‘stood shouting outside Man City dressing room’ as Sergio Aguero is peacemaker
Man City striker calms situation down as Argentina teammate Messi sees red after an opponent allegedly called him an 'imbecile'
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SERGIO AGUERO has confirmed he had to step in to calm down an amazing tunnel bust-up involving Lionel Messi after Barcelona’s defeat to Manchester City.
Reports suggest Messi reacted furiously to something a City player said to him at the end of the game.
The mercurial Argentine star is said to have responded after being called an “imbecile”.
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Spanish radio station COPE allege Messi headed to the City dressing room, yelling "Stupid, come here and show your face, don't hide" before being calmed down by Aguero.
The City striker reassured his fellow-countryman with two playful slaps on the chest.
Afterwards Aguero suggested it was more of a general melee with Messi reacting “badly” after Barcelona’s surprise 3-1 Champions League defeat.
He said: “Whenever you lose you’re not very happy. I saw him there, he was feeling bad. I know him well enough to know when he’s bad, when he’s good. But when you lose, nobody’s good!
“I thought Messi said something to me but he didn’t, and then we talked about other stuff. It was nothing serious. I heard something but I don’t know what happened.
“When someone loses you have to respect them. Leo wasn’t in the mood to talk and I respect that.”
Aguero also denied that he handballed in the build-up to Ilkay Gundogan’s 74th minute goal.
“I thought that ter Stegen would touch it, because of that it went past me a bit but I had my hand by my side and there was no intention to use my hand,” said Aguero.
“It’s normal that they complain (about the goal), but luckily we were 2-1 up already and that goal calmed us.
“The hand was by my body and it hit my arm, but there was no intention. If you watch the video my hand is by my body, it went past me and Gundogan got it. They will always complain about that, obviously. We also had a penalty shout but never said a thing. It’s up to the referee.”
There was also a denial from Aguero that he was angry at Pep Guardiola at being dropped for the 4-0 drubbing at the Nou Camp a fortnight ago.
“I’m never angry. I respect every manager’s decision," he said. "He said it was a tactical thing and I obviously respect that. When I went in the pitch I tried to give my best and then train hard to be ready for the next game. But no one was in a bad mood.
“I’ve experienced many different important nights, and today was another one that not only me but the whole team enjoyed. We also could feel the support from the fans, and that was important for our confidence. It was a nice game for the memories.”