World Cup

Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia: 'Lionel Messi ban not fair'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 30 March 2017

Claudio Tapia, the new president of the Argentine Football Association, believes that Lionel Messi's four-match international ban "does not abide by the rules".

The new president of the Argentine Football Association has hit out at Lionel Messi's four-match international ban, claiming that it is "not fair and does not abide by the rules".

FIFA suspended the Argentina captain on Tuesday, just hours before their defeat to Bolivia in World Cup qualifying, for verbally abusing an assistant referee against Chile last week.

Barcelona have hit out at their employee's punishment, and new AFA president Claudio Tapia - who was elected on Wednesday - has echoed the Blaugrana's sentiments.

"[Messi's ban] is not fair and it doesn't abide by the rules," Tapia told Sky Sports News. "Part of the situation we live in, in Argentine football, is due to the loss of representation at South American and FIFA levels.

"Our task is to rebuild those ties. We have to sit down with the FIFA president, and hire the best professionals to reduce the sanctions [against Messi]."

The Albiceleste are fifth in South American qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with Messi's ban set to see him miss four of his country's last five qualifiers.