Lionel Messi broke down in tears after his dream of winning the
Champions League for a fifth time with Barcelona collapsed against
Liverpool.
The Argentina international was inconsolable in the
Barcelona dressing room following the 4-0 defeat at Anfield, where the
Spanish champions were on the receiving end of an incredible comeback in
Europe for the second season running, having won the first leg 3-0 at
the Camp Nou. Last season in the quarter-finals Barça beat Roma 4-1 at
home but collapsed in the away leg to lose 3-0 in Rome and go out on
away goals.
Messi was then selected for a drugs test by
anti-doping officials and the team coach departed for Liverpool John
Lennon Airport without him as a consequence.
Reports in the
Spanish media have claimed that, on his eventual arrival at the airport,
Messi was involved in an angry confrontation with a group of Barcelona
supporters furious at their team’s latest collapse in the Champions
League.
Barcelona’s president, Josep Bartomeu, described the
defeat as a “disastrous night” for the club and the manager, Ernesto
Valverde, accepted questions would be asked of his future following
another European failure.
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