Sport
Alexi Lalas Says Messi Was Wrong to Argue with Referee After Inter Miami Game
Former US international Alexi Lalas has spoken out against Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi after the Argentine’s heated confrontation with referee Tim Ford in their recent 3-3 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. The incident happened late in the match at PayPal Stadium when Messi made a sharp run in the 93rd minute and seemed to be fouled just outside the penalty area following a sliding tackle by Daniel Munie. Messi quickly demanded a free kick, but the referee waved play on.
After the game, Messi was visibly upset and confronted Ford over his decisions. The situation escalated to the point where San Jose’s coach Bruce Arena had to step in and hold Messi back, as Ford reportedly threatened to show a red card. Lalas wasn’t impressed with Messi’s behavior. On his State of the Union podcast, he said he thought Arena handled the situation well and called Messi’s actions “a bad look.”
He praised the referee for standing firm and not giving Messi special treatment, saying the official repeatedly told Messi to get up and continue, regardless of his star status. Messi, who joined Inter Miami a few years ago after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, has been known for his incredible skills on the field, but this episode shows even the greatest can clash with referees.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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Super Eagles Star Calvin Bassey Opens Up on Nearly Walking Away from Football
