Lionel Messi's father hits out at 'unfit' claims

Posted Thursday, April 25, 2013 by Foxsports.com

The father of Barcelona star Lionel Messi has denied claims that his son told him he was not fit to play on the eve of Bayern Munich's 4-0 demolition of the Catalans.

Following Tuesday's UEFA Champions League semi-final heavy first leg defeat in Germany, Messi's agent Josep María Miguella told radio station 'COPE' that the Argentina international had informed his father he had not fully recovered from a thigh injury sustained in the quarter finals against Paris Saint-Germain.

The statistics appear to back up the claim as Messi covered 7409m in the match - a whole three kilometers less than Bayern wingers Arjen Robben (10,997m) and Franck Ribery (10,487m). And the three-time world player of the year was also unsually subdued in the final third of the pitch where he was wreaked havoc on countless defences over the years.

Messi has since insisted he felt 'fine' during the match and that Bayern had simply been the 'stronger' side.

Messi's father Jorge has now also rejected the claim.

"I never said that Leo wasn't ready to play, and there were other peole that were with me at the time [when he spoke to Miguella] and they know what I said," he told Argentinian sports newspaper Ole.

"I was asked how Leo was and I said that I thought he was fit, that he had come out of the medical tests well, and that I thought he was going to play. That was what I said, word for word."

What is 100 per cent certain is that Messi and his team-mates will have their work cut if they are to reach the Champions League final as they face a 4-0 deficit heading into their semi-final second leg on 2 May at Camp Nou.