What Lionel Messi Said To The Referee Who Told Him To 'Shut Up'

Lionel Messi responded to Damir Skomina who told him to 'shut up' during Barcelona's Champions League victory against Chelsea.

_{Credit: FC Barcelona}

The Argentine magician inspired his side to European success by producing a scintillating performance, bagging an incredible brace not to mention creating Ousmane's Dembele's first goal for the club in typically stunning fashion.

The Catalans booked their spot in the quarter-final, and will face Serie A outfit AS Roma in the next round.

But, a piece of information from Wednesday's fixture has surfaced.

You may have missed the first-half exchange between the match referee and Messi.

Messi swaps words with the ref. Image: PA

Skomina told him to 'shut up' after Messi approached him, remonstrating his decision to not award a free-kick.

"Leo, turn it down," the referee reportedly said.

Messi wasn't pleased with his words who responded angrily: "You don't speak badly to me.

He added: "I didn't disrespect you, did I?"

That's according to Spanish outlet Marca.

Should Messi have been booked for waving his finger in the direction of the referee?

Some people think so. Here's reaction to the incident:

Barcelona eventually beat Chelsea 3-0 on the night, advancing courtesy of a 4-1 aggregate win.

Meanwhile, Messi and co resume their La Liga campaign this weekend when they host Athletic Bilbao.

Topics: Football News, Chelsea, Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Champions League

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado, and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping and Anthony Joshua. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@https://twitter.com/NasJabbar