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Barcelona will have to pay a € 3,000 (£ 2,700) fine after Lionel Messi paid tribute to Diego Maradona by celebrating in a Newell’s Old Boys jersey on Sunday.
Messi celebrated his powerful shot from outside the area against Osasuna by removing the blue and burgundy stripe from Barcelona to reveal Newell’s red and black.
Maradona, who died last week at the age of 60, played for Newell’s at the end of his brilliant career and Messi wore the same jersey at the beginning of his, making it a fitting tribute.
Messi also blew a kiss with both hands to the sky while looking up.
But the moving tribute was contrary to the rules of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, which is now ready to fine the club for celebrating Messi.
After the match, Messi posted a photo of his tribute alongside an older image of Maradona in the same jersey, adding the message “Bye, Diego” in Spanish.
“It was a great moment,” said Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman.
First, for the goal that Leo scored and then for the gesture he had for the death of Diego Maradona. He had surely been thinking about what he would do. For me, it was a great moment in every way. ‘
Messi played for Newell’s before joining Barcelona at age 13. Maradona played five games for Newell’s near the end of his career.
In an interview with Argentine television TyC in 2013, Messi said that as a child he went to the stadium for Maradona’s debut with Newell’s back in 1993.
Messi had kept his head down during the minute of silence before kickoff at the empty Camp Nou for Maradona, who died of a heart attack at age 60. He also played for Barcelona from 1982 to 1984.
In addition to Messi’s sublime goal, Philippe Coutinho, Martin Braithwaite and Antoine Griezmann also scored in Barcelona’s routine victory.
Messi was one of many tributes to Maradona from around the soccer world over the weekend.
Napoli wore a special fourth kit in honor of their former star during their victory over Roma.
The strip, inspired by Argentina’s uniform, paid tribute to Maradona, who led Napoli to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup during an illustrious seven-year stay from 1984-1991.
In Argentina, the former clubs of Maradona, Boca Juniors and Newell’s, also paid tribute.
Before the two teams met in the aptly named Diego Armando Maradona Cup, both teams wore special jerseys for a minute of applause around a 1986 World Cup winner’s flag.
After scoring a free kick, Boca players approached Maradona’s daughter Dalma, who sat in the stands and applauded her.
Maradona’s daughter was overwhelmed with emotion and was shown crying in her father’s box at the Bombonera at the gesture.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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