Concacaf Punishes Referee For Begging Lionel Messi For Shirt

Concacaf has punished referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava following an incident involving Argentine football icon, Lionel Messi.

After Inter Miami’s thrilling Champions Cup victory over Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night, referee Nava was seen approaching the star forward for Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, and appeared to request his jersey. This moment raised eyebrows, as it is highly unusual for match officials to engage players in such a manner post-match.

In his defence, the referee later clarified that he was seeking an autograph for a relative who has special needs. However, this explanation did little to mitigate the seriousness of his actions, which were deemed to violate Concacaf’s established Code of Conduct for match officials.

Afterwards, Concacaf issued a statement, which reads: “The referee’s conduct does not align with the Confederation’s Code of Conduct for match officials and undermines the existing processes for these types of requests.”

Nava has acknowledged his misstep, issued a public apology for his behaviour, and accepted the disciplinary measures that Concacaf has determined are appropriate. As of now, the specific nature of the disciplinary action against the referee has not yet been disclosed by Concacaf.

In the match itself, Inter Miami emerged victorious with a scoreline of 1-0, courtesy of a decisive second-half goal from Messi, further solidifying his impact on the club.