Messi regrets his behavior

FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi has said he regrets his testy exchanges with the Netherlands coach and players during their controversial quarter-final in Qatar.

In his first interview since lifting the trophy in December, the Argentina captain spoke about the feisty clash with the Dutch, which the South Americans won in a penalty shootout. A record 17 yellow cards were issued, including one to Messi for dissent.

When Messi scored from the spot in regular time, he stood in front of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal and cupped both hands to his ears.

After the game, he gesticulated to the Dutch bench and insulted striker Wout Weghorst, who scored twice in regulation time.

“I don’t like what I did, I don’t like what happened afterward,” Messi told radio Urbana Play of Buenos Aires in an interview aired on Monday.

“These are moments of a lot of tension, a lot of nerves. It is very quick and people react the way they react. Nothing was planned, it just happened.”

That quarter-final was surrounded by controversy. Before the encounter, Van Gaal said his players were better prepared for a penalty shootout.

He also said “Messi did not touch the ball” in the semi-final between the teams in the 2014 World Cup. Argentina won that tie in a shootout too.
Messi said his teammates told him what Van Gaal said to stimulate him.