Fernandinho denies he’s the culprit following claims Lionel Messi stormed towards Manchester City dressing room after a home player called him an ‘imbecile’
Etihad midfielder hits back on Twitter over 'absurd untruths' and insists he never clashed with anyone from Barcelona after the Spaniards were dispatched 3-1 on an historic Euro night
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FERNANDINHO has tweeted his outrage over claims he was the Manchester City player who provoked an amazing dressing-room outburst from Lionel Messi.
An Etihad player is said to have called Messi an "imbecile" following City's 3-1 Champions League group victory - prompting the Barcelona legend to storm towards the home changing room, shouting: "Come back here, don't hide."
But Fernandinho has hit back after being named as the culprit by Brazilian website.
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The Brazil midfielder, 31, tweeted: "I do not know where the rumours of a possible provocation and discussion on my part with Messi came from!
“So I have to say that the news circulating in the media are absurd untruths, because I did not even have contact with players or members of the technical committee of Barcelona after the game.
“[To] instigate and provoke [is] not part of my nature, considering that I cherish very much respect on and off the field, regardless of the opponent, club or player in question.”
Messi, 29, reportedly went into the City dressing room later with Barcelona representative Carles Nadal to seek an explanation.
But Messi's Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero, who was involved in City's match-clinching third goal, said: “Nothing happened. I didn’t hear [the incident] very well.
"I saw Messi was irritated but he didn’t say anything to me. Afterwards we talked about other things.”
