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Video: Messi claims referee wants to give him a yellow card

Santiago Jaime Latre, Lionel Messi
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Messi hit out against the referee at half-time during FC Barcelona’s La Liga match against Real Valladolid.

Monday’s match was an important one for Lionel Messi.

Helping Barcelona win to move within one point of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid was a top priority, but ensuring he didn’t get a booking was as important if not more so. Had Messi got a yellow card or worse, he would’ve been suspended for Saturday’s Clasico against Real Madrid for accumulating five cards.

Aware of this, Messi was naturally keen to avoid a booking and had to tread carefully against Real Valladolid. But the referee Santiago Jaime Latre’s officiating in the first half left him far from impressed.

“The referee wants to give me a yellow card, incredible,” Messi told club delegate Carles Naval as he to the tunnels at half-time as picked up by Movistar+.

The referee, though, instead reduced Real Valladolid to 10-men in the second-half by sending off Oscar Plano.

Ousmane Dembele, meanwhile, scored a 90th-minute winner to seal Barcelona a narrow 1-0 victory.

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