Leo Messi was expelled for hitting Villalibre in the 120th minute of the Spanish Super Cup and will be suspended for at least two games, immediately following this final of the Super Cup. In a Barcelona attack, Messi let go of his arm, hitting the Athletic player. For Iturralde González, an analyst at AS and SER, the action does not raise doubts. It is deserved expulsion. “They have to expel Messi because there is movement of the arm. It is expulsion. Villalibre gets inside him and lets go of his arm. Red “, stated during Sports Carousel the former referee.
Gil Manzano's report is also conclusive: “In minute 120 the player (10) Messi Cuccittini, Lionel Andres was sent off for the following reason: hitting an opponent with the arm using excessive force while the ball is in play but not at a distance from being played“.
Being direct red, Messi will miss at least the next Barcelona game, on Thursday, in the Copa del Rey, against Cornellà. It is also certain that he will not be able to play against Elche in the league. The Competition Committee will have to enter to assess the action of the Argentine and could sanction Messi between 1 and 3 games (minimum two because the action did not take place with the ball in play). If the set is considered as aggression then the Barcelona striker will lose at least four suspension games. But everything will depend on the disciplinary article that is applied.
Article 114 of the Disciplinary Code says: “Direct expulsion. 1. Direct expulsion during the course of a match will lead to the imposition of a suspension sanction for at least one match, Unless the act constitutes a more serious offense, with the corresponding pecuniary accessory. In those cases in which the expulsion from the field of play is due to situations in which the footballer had not had the possibility of contesting the ball (this is the case), the suspension will be for at least two games “.
The most normal thing is that article 123 applies to Messi: “Violence in the game. 1. Occur in a violent manner during the game or as a direct consequence of any set of the same, As long as the action creates risk, but no harmful or harmful consequences occur, it will be sanctioned with suspension of one to three games or for a period of up to one month. If the action described in the previous paragraph occurs outside the game or with the game stopped, it will be sanctioned with suspension of two to three games, without prejudice to the provisions of article 98 of this Code “.
If article 98 is applied, 4 games may fall
However, If the Committee considers that Messi attacked Villalibre, then the Argentine will be sanctioned with at least 4 matches (The suspension can go from four to twelve games). This is article 98 that can be applied to the Barcelona player. “Aggressions. 1. Attacking another, without causing injury, considering the fraudulent element necessary in this offense as a determining factor, the circumstance that the action takes place while the game is stopped or at such a distance from where it takes place that it is impossible to intervene in a set of that, it will be sanctioned with suspension of four to twelve games “.
Regarding compliance with the sanction, according to article 56.8, Messi must do the following immediately, whatever the competition: “The suspension for matches that is a consequence of the Spanish Super Cup, regardless of its severity, will imply the prohibition of aligning, act, access the pitch, the bench and the changing room area, in as many as the sanction encompasses in the order in which they take place, although due to calendar alteration, postponement, repetition or any other circumstance, the pre-established at the beginning of the competition had changed “.
It is the first expulsion of Messi with the first team of Barcelona. His previous red card was on February 27, 2005 with the Barça subsidiary against Peña Sport de Tafalla.