Many fans and experts were surprised to see Lionel Messi sitting on the bench when Los Blaugranas faced Athletic Bilbao last weekend, but while some believed it was part of a rotation plan by coach Ernesto Valverde, the real reasons behind this decision had nothing to do with that plan.
The current La Liga champions missed their main man during the first 55 minutes, as Athletic took a 1-0 lead before halftime. Messi had to come from the bench to avoid a second straight loss for the hosts, but the real reasons behind his substitute role were revealed until today.
According to a report by Spanish website Don Balón, coach Ernesto Valverde allegedly "punished" Messi due to his absence in the team's dinner after losing to Leganés. Messi didn't feel like being there and decided not to show up at the team's gathering that Valverde called up. This caused the Spanish boss' rage and decided to take action with the board's authorization.
Valverde's timing to sanction Messi's attitude couldn't have been worse, as the team linked three games without a win for the first time in over 18 months, and things could get even more complicated for the former Athletic tactician in the event of a loss against Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League.
