Monterrey Club assistant coach Nico Sanchez insulted Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi after the intense 1-4 CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal match. After the match, emotions ran high as Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino, along with players including Messi, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba, expressed their deep displeasure with referee Walter Lopez's decisions. Tensions escalated further when several Inter Miami players engaged in a heated exchange with Monterrey head coach Fernando Ortiz. The incident attracted media attention and, later, Fox Sports released an audio recording capturing Nico Sanchez's controversial reaction to the ongoing conflict. The incident sparked widespread debate and drew attention to the importance of sportsmanship and respectful conduct in the football community.
“The dwarf was possessed, he had a mean face. He put his fist in my face and said, ‘Who do you think you are?’ But when I turned away, it just got worse. And Tata Martino, that poor idiot, stood in front of me and said, ‘Are you going to cry, you idiot? Are you going to cry, you idiot?’ What an idiot he was! They probably deleted all those videos because they were just horrible. It was really serious,” Sanchez said, according to the Guardian.
Recall that Messi joined Inter Miami last summer as a free agent. During this period, he has participated in 20 matches in all competitions, scoring 17 goals and providing seven assists. The player's current contract with the club expires at the end of 2025. According to information provided on the Transfermarkt portal, the market value of the Argentine footballer is 30 million euros. On Saturday, April 14, Inter Miami will face Sporting Kansas City in MLS. The referee's first whistle will sound at 03:30.
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