Yesterday’s CONCACAF Champions League clash between Inter Miami and Monterrey was quite eventful. The Herons endured a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of the quarterfinals against the Liga MX side. However, tensions flared beyond 90 minutes as Monterrey’s boss, Fernando Ortiz, allegedly had a confrontation with sidelined Lionel Messi over his referee bias comments before the match. With everyone eager to know about the incident, the rival coach finally broke his silence. 

In a succinct statement, he said, “What happened is going to stay there. I am not going to give a statement regarding that.” The assertion was made in front of the media when he was asked about the incident by journalist Higinio Robles, upon the Mexican side’s arrival on their home soil. Clearly, Ortiz was not eager to give the inside details as to what conversation he had with Messi. But what exactly did the Monterrey boss say that forced La Pulga to hold a post-match discussion with him? 

According to sources, the rival coach openly suggested that referees would show bias towards Inter Miami in their recent home game due to the club’s importance to the image of the MLS. However, contrary to his expectations, events on the field unfolded differently as they won. This later prompted Messi, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez to express their dissatisfaction with referee Walter Lopez regarding crucial decisions that ultimately cost them the match. Subsequently, they confronted Ortiz and his assistant, Nico Sanchez.

Moreover, well-known journalist Fernando Schwartz stated that Monterrey’s delegation had urged CONCACAF to take note of the altercations between Messi and other Miami players. Nonetheless, the Monterrey coach later resolved his feud with Leo Messi during a post-game press conference.

Despite a fiery exchange, Fernando Ortiz is eager to face Lionel Messi in the return leg

In the post-match presser, Fernando Ortiz showed no intention of pursuing his feud with Lionel Messi. Instead, he showed admiration for the Argentine maestro, calling him the best player in the world. Following that, the Liga MX coach expressed his team’s desire to play Messi at home if he recovers and returns for the second leg on Wednesday.

According to the most recent information, Leo Messi is likely to compete in the highly anticipated second leg. The 36-year-old is expected to make a cameo appearance against Colorado this weekend before starting against Monterrey on Wednesday. Messi must play, as this is a crucial match for the Herons.

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