Lionel Messi emulated Diego Maradona on Sunday evening, but not in a particularly positive way.
In the Supercopa de Espana final against Athletic Club, Messi lost his head against the same opponents that Maradona had during his time in Spain, although the former's indiscretions were far less scandalous than Maradona's.
Back in 1984, Athletic and Barcelona met in the Copa del Rey final at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, and the game provided Maradona with a chance of revenge, having had his left ankle fractured by the Butcher of Bilbao, Andoni Goikoetxea, previously.
Things were heated throughout, but when the referee blew his final whistle, it exploded. A mass brawl broke out, with head butts, punches, and flying kicks taking place all over the pitch.
In Messi's case, he simply lashed out at Asier Villalibre after being obstructed, delivering a blow to the Athletic striker's head that saw him sent off for the first time as a Barcelona player. Now he's set to miss the Blaugrana's next games against Cornella in the Copa del Rey and Elche in LaLiga Santander, and maybe some others as well.
While Maradona left Barcelona for Napoli shortly after those heated scenes in 1984, Messi's future remains up in the air, with his contract at the Camp Nou set to expire this summer.
maddyfootballer
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Similarity between messi and maradona: 1. Both are Argentine 2. Both are left footed. 3. Both are regarded as some of the best players ever. 4. Both played for Barcelona. 5. Both hav Newell's Old Boys as their childhood club. 6. Both score wonderful solo goals. 7. Both wear the number 10 8. Both scored a goal with the help of their hand. 9. Both had a WWE time against Bilbao.