Miami, 22 August (H.S.): Inter Miami star footballer Lionel Messi has been fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Soccer (MLS) over his on-field altercation with Philadelphia Union player Quinn Sullivan on Friday. Messi’s Inter Miami teammate Ian Fray has also been fined in connection with the incident.

The incident occurred in the 11th minute of stoppage time when Messi moved towards the centre circle to confront Sullivan while the ball was still in play. After the two exchanged words for a brief period, Messi placed his hand on the back of Sullivan’s neck.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee said Messi and Fray had been fined for violating the league’s policy concerning “placing a hand on the face, head or neck of an opponent”.

Neither Messi nor Sullivan was shown a card by the referee during the incident. However, following a confrontation between players from both teams after the match, Philadelphia’s Quinn’s younger brother and teammate, Cavan Sullivan, and Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright were shown red cards.

An independent review panel later unanimously ruled in favour of Cavan Sullivan, overturning his red card. As a result, he will be available for Philadelphia Union’s next match on Saturday.

The match, played at Subaru Park in Chester, ended in a 2-2 draw. Messi made a significant contribution for Inter Miami by scoring in the 26th minute.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar