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Lionel Messi's bodyguard Yassine Chueko has been banned from entering the field in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final between Inter Miami and Monterrey on Wednesday, April 10. However, he will be allowed to enter the locker room and mixed area, according to a report from The Mirror.
The sanction comes as a result of what happened after the first leg in Miami on April 3, where Monterrey claimed a 2-1 away win and took the upper hand in the battle for a spot in the semi-finals.
After the match, Lionel Messi, who didn't play due to injury, was involved in an altercation with the Mexican team's manager Fernando Ortiz and assistant coach Nico Sanchez. The reason behind the confrontation was Ortiz's comments before the game, suggesting biased officiating in Miami's favor. Sanchez called Messi a "possessed dwarf, who has the face of the devil," as per The Mirror.
It appears that Messi's bodyguard, who is also in charge of the superstar family's security, was part of the altercation, and thus he has been banned from entering the playing field.
Lionel Messi set to start for Inter Miami in must-win game vs Monterrey
Lionel Messi did not play in the first leg of the quarter-finals against the Mexicans, as a hamstring injury sidelined him for four games. Still, he had some playing time in the MLS game against Colorado during the weekend (2-2) and showed he is in good condition heading to the second leg against Monterrey.
As Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said, Messi will be a starter in Wednesday's game, as his team can't afford to lose again.
"Messi will start on the field at the BBVA Stadium. The idea would be [to start], but we understand the demand of the upcoming match. With Leo, it is the usual thing that he provokes in our team, in the teammates, in the people. The most important thing is that he felt comfortable, good, loose. We knew it was a risk for him to play the first game with Monterrey," Martino said, via The Mirror.
Lionel Messi has appeared in six games across all competitions for Inter Miami so far this season, with six goals and two assists.
