A referee has been banned from officiating in CONCACAF competitions for six months after an incident involving Lionel Messi.
Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava, 36, officiated Inter Miami’s highly anticipated Champions Cup first-round match against Sporting Kansas City on the night of February 20.
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Lionel Messi netted the only goal of the game, witnessed by 15,178 fans who braved the freezing temperatures, with the ‘real feel’ at Kansas’ home ground recorded at -9°C. ..Continue Reading
Another notable moment from last week’s fixture occurred post-match, when referee Ortiz Nava approached Messi for an autograph.
An ESPN report has suggested that the Mexican official received a shirt from the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, which seems to have come at a cost.
As per the report, Ortiz Nava has been suspended from officiating in CONCACAF competitions for six months due to his on-field request.
In a statement, CONCACAF said that the official’s conduct “does not align with the Confederation’s Code of Conduct for match officials and existing processes for these types of requests.”
They added: “The referee has acknowledged his mistake, apologised for the incident, and accepted the disciplinary action CONCACAF has applied.”
CONCACAF also clarified that the referee approached Messi to request an autograph for a family member with special needs.
Despite the ban, Ortiz Nava will continue to officiate in Mexico’s Liga MX and recently refereed a match between Puebla and Club Tijuana.
Just two days later, Lionel Messi faced trouble during Inter Miami’s MLS season opener, which ended in a 2-2 draw against New York City.
After the match, a visibly frustrated Messi was seen speaking with New York assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy.
As the conversation appeared to end, Messi placed his hand on the back of Ballouchy’s neck, eliciting a surprised reaction from the former Morocco midfielder.
Messi has since been fined for the incident, with MLS releasing a statement to confirm their action.
The statement read: “The MLS Disciplinary Committee has fined Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount for violating the hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy following the conclusion of Inter Miami’s match against New York City FC on February 22.”
