Malaga defender Weligton has revealed why he pushed Lionel Messi to the floor in the club’s goalless draw with Barcelona on Wednesday.
The pair clashed inside the Malaga box during the second half, with Messi uncharacteristically feigning injury and collapsing in a heap on the floor when the Brazilian shoved him, but Weligton says he reacted because of what the Barca player said to him.
“I caught Messi in the face because he called me a ‘son of a prostitute’,” claimed Weligton to reporters post-match.
It was an isolated incident in what up until then had been a fairly tame encounter, although Weligton praised his side for their endeavour.
“The whole team played a great game so I congratulate everyone. It’s not easy to hold the players Barca possess.
“But over the last few days we’ve watched a lot of their videos and managed to put our ideas into practice,” he asserted.
