Messi is not proud of his behavior during the World Cup match with the Netherlands: ‘The tension was great’

Football NOS

Messi is not proud of his behavior during the World Cup match with the Netherlands: “The tension was very high.”

Lionel Messi looks back with some regret on his behavior during and after the quarter-final victory over the Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar. He’s not particularly proud of his much-discussed hand gesture towards Louis van Gaal.

“It wasn’t something I thought about beforehand, it just turned out to be. I don’t like what I did,” Messi told Argentine radio station Urbana Play in his first comprehensive interview as world champion.

Displeased with Van Gaal’s comments

Messi was dissatisfied with a comment from Van Gaal, who said in the run-up to the match that Argentina play with ten men when they do not have the ball, because in the eyes of Van Gaal, the captain does not perform a defensive action. Those words were like a red rag to a bull for Messi.

After his second goal of the match, Messi made a provocative gesture in front of Van Gaal and Orange assistant Edgar Davids by placing his hands next to his ears.

Just like his great example and compatriot Juan Roman Riquelme did so regularly. Riquelme played in Barcelona under Van Gaal in the 2002/2003 season, but he certainly did not live on good terms with his coach.

After the match, Messi again confronted Van Gaal and exchanged a few words with the then coach of the Orange national team.

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Lionel Messi in discussion with, among others, Louis van Gaal after the Netherlands and Argentina

“I knew what they said before the match,” Messi said in the interview. “I didn’t think about my reaction because the tension and nervousness was so great. You react the way you do. I don’t like looking back on that moment, but things like that happened once.”

Pictures of an angry Messi were also hung during a post-match interview. “What are you looking at, idiot? Keep going!” Rammed into Wout Weghorst in the catacombs.

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