As per latest reports, days after South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL, imposed a fine and one-match ban on Lionel Messi for his behaviour and comments in Copa America, the confederation is, in fact, considering an extension of the ban given to the star player.
It is worth noting that after the Chile match for third place in the recently concluded Copa America tournament, Messi had said “I think the cup is fixed for Brazil. I hope that the VAR and the referees have nothing to do in this final and that Peru can compete because they have the team to do so although I think it’s difficult.”
Leo also went on to suggest that the red card he received in the match against Chile was not because of what happened in the field but because he had criticised the umpires.
In response, CONMEBOL released a statement in which they described Messi’s comments as “unacceptable” since it clearly shows disrespect for the coveted tournament. The body moreover said that his comments were in fact “unfounded accusations”.
Earlier in the week, Lionel Messi was imposed upon a one-match ban and a fine worth $1,500 for the same ”harsh comments'”.
Now, according to a report by Mundo Albiceleste, CONMEBOL is, in fact, thinking of extending the ban which could see Lionel Messi missing out on international football action for at least six months.
This extended suspension is, reportedly, for Messi’s corruption claims and could be anywhere in between two to six months.
With Messi being already given a sentence a few days ago, it is best for the unconfirmed reports to get confirmed before jumping on to conclusions.
Messi is part of the Barcelona squad who are currently busy participating in friendly matches as part of their preparation for the forthcoming season.