Barcelona star Lionel Messi who was banned for 4 international soccer matches for Argentina has been given a relief after FIFA, the apex football body interrogated into the incident and found lack of evidence. This will boost Argentina’s chances at Russia next year when they play the FIFA World Cup. The Barcelona star was slapped with a four-match ban and fined 10,000 Swiss Francs for insulting an assistant referee.
FIFA overturned the decision in a statement said, “Despite the fact that the FIFA Appeal Committee considered Lionel Messi’s behaviour as reproachable” it concluded “the evidence available was not sufficient” to justify a four-game ban.
FIFA’s statement on the subject said, “…the evidence available was not sufficient to establish to the appropriate standard, i.e. to the comfortable satisfaction of the members of the Appeal Committee, that art. 77 a) of the FDC, according to which the Disciplinary Committee is responsible for sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials’ attention, could be applied.”
Argentina’s next World Cup qualifier sees them playing Uruguay on August 31. This is a crucial game for Argentina as they’re fifth in the 10-team South America group with four games left to play.
Messi inclusion is massive for the chances of Argentina come next year. Argentina, sans Messi it would be a uphill task for the team to make it to the knockouts of the premier event.
Messi is one of the greatest footballers of our times and with him being slapped with a ban is a disgrace to the sport and he actually set a bad precedence for inspiring footballers.
