Spanish club Barcelona have said that the claims that Lionel Messi racially abused Real Madrid player Royston Drenthe, while the Dutchman was at Hercules on a loan deal last season, is untrue.
The club have also praised Lionel Messi by saying that he is an extraordinary professional, who gives everything to the club and respects his fellow professionals.
The 24-year-old Lionel Messi has won three FIFA Player of the Year awards in the last three seasons, which has been matched only by the likes of Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. He recently broke the record for the most number of goals in one single season by scoring 72 goals for Barcelona.
Even though he looks set to be without the Spanish la Liga and the Champions League trophies this season, many regard Lionel Messi to be the greatest player in the world. Royston Drenthe has played against Messi a number of times during his time at Real Madrid. His contract with the Spanish club will come to an end at the end of the season. He has been loaned to Premier league club Everton for the remainder of the season, but he has not been part of the club in the last few games due to disciplinary reasons. He claimed a few weeks back that Messi racially abused him while playing for Hercules.
“The player has always shown maximum respect and sportsmanship towards his rivals, something recognised by fellow professionals. We are sure that any accusations to the contrary are well wide of the mark,” said a spokesman from Barcelona regarding the claims made by Royston Drenthe. The Dutchman joined Real Madrid in 2007, but looks set to depart the club at the end of the season. Dutch club Feyenoord have been linked with the player in recent weeks.