Barcelona appealing Lionel Messi's two-match ban for swinging at opponent
Spanish giants Barcelona are set to be without superstar Lionel Messi for a pair of matches.
As ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported on Tuesday, the Royal Spanish Football Federation handed Messi a two-game ban after the 33-year-old took a swing at Athletic Bilbao's Asier Villalibre during Sunday's Spanish Supercopa final that Athletic Bilbao won 3-2 in extra time.
It was the first time Messi was sent off in 753 Barcelona senior team appearances. Barcelona have since confirmed that they will appeal the ruling even though video evidence appears to show Messi was guilty of the crime.
"The referee’s report describes the motivation thus: 'Striking an opponent with his arm with excessive force while the ball was in play but not within a playable distance,'" the club added in its statement.
Assuming Barcelona will lose the appeal, Messi is on track to miss Thursday's Copa del Rey contest against third-tier Cornella and Saturday's La Liga match versus Elche. Barcelona sit third in the league table on 34 points, seven behind leaders Atletico Madrid and three behind rivals Real Madrid.
ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens wondered if Messi's actions showed that he's frustrated with his situation, as his Barcelona contract expires this coming summer:
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo recently told France Football that he's interested in pursuing Messi.
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