Monterrey coach issues apology for calling Lionel Messi ‘devil-faced’ and expressing desire to fight him

Inter Miami and Monterrey are gearing up for a highly anticipated rematch on Wednesday, but the drama off the field involving Lionel Messi has taken center stage.

After Monterrey’s assistant coach Nico Sánchez was caught on audio claiming Messi wanted to fight him following their last encounter, tensions have been running high. The leaked audio revealed a heated confrontation between Messi, his Miami teammates, and Monterrey coach Tata Martino in the locker room after the game.

Messi, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since March 13, has been at the center of controversy surrounding the match. Monterrey’s coach Fernando Ortiz made pregame comments hinting at favoritism towards Miami due to Messi’s fame, adding fuel to the fire.

In the leaked audio, Sánchez described Messi’s behavior as aggressive, claiming the superstar used colorful language and even attempted to provoke a physical altercation. Despite the backlash, Sánchez issued a public apology for his disrespectful remarks towards Martino, but did not apologize for his comments about Messi.

While Monterrey has been embroiled in controversy, Inter Miami has chosen to focus on the upcoming match and downplay the off-field drama. With Messi set to return to the field against the Colorado Rapids, Miami is hopeful that his presence will help them overcome the 2-1 deficit in the upcoming rematch against Monterrey.

As the two teams prepare to face off once again, all eyes will be on Messi and whether he can lead his team to victory amidst the ongoing drama surrounding the match.