Who says soccer isn't a physical sport?
Malaga defender Jose Weligton told reporters that he grabbed Barcelona star Lionel Messi by the throat after the forward called him a "son of a bitch," ESPN reports.
Weligton received a yellow card in Wednesday's 0-0 draw for the incident that left Messi on the ground. Weligton initiated contact with a small shoulder bump, then briefly grasped the Argentina captain by the throat and pushed him backwards.
However, Weligton claims it was only a reaction to the verbal insult.
"A minute before Messi tried to play a one-two, I tried to block him with my arm," Weligton told Cadena SER. "He thought I caught him in the face, but it was by accident. You can see from the images. He got angry and came at me, calling me a 'son of a bitch.' That was when I caught him by the throat."
The two did not discuss the incident after the game, and Weligton does not believe they will talk about it anytime in the future.
"There was no need to talk with him afterwards," Weligton said. "If he wants to talk to me then no problem, if I make a mistake then I recognize it and apologize. But if he acts another way, then no problem either."
