Messi denies abusing officials, says he was yelling at air
After being hit with a four-match ban by FIFA for abusing match officials, Argentina captain Lionel Messi has asserted his innocence saying he was yelling at the air. Messi has written to FIFA requesting that his ban be overturned. "If my words made assistant referee 1 uncomfortable, they were never directed at him and for that, I apologise," it said.