In scenes that once again shame Argentine football, River Plate fans have targeted the captain of their country Argentine football fans ...
Argentine football fans spat at and insulted Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the Barcelona forward made his way home from winning the Club World Championship in Japan.
The Ballon d’Or favourite was travelling through Narita airport in the wake of Barca’s 3-0 triumph when he was targeted by River Plate fans.
Messi reacted badly, needing to be held back by Javier Mascherano – a former River Plate star – and manager Luis Enrique, while a number of River’s directors were nearby and promptly condemned the behaviour of fans to Argentine media.
Barca star Messi has endured a tough relationship with fans in his homeland, who for years accused him of being unpatriotic and doubted his commitment to the cause after moving to Spain as a teenager.
