Watch as Lionel Messi tells Barcelona team-mates not to be ‘assholes’ in X-rated half-time team-talk against Napoli
LIONEL MESSI has proven that he won’t just leave it to his football to do the talking during Barcelona’s Champions League bid.
Fascinating footage has emerged of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner issuing his teammates an X-rated half-time team-talk in the 3-1 win over Napoli.
The Argentine superstar inspired Barcelona to reach the Champions League quarter-finals after scoring a stunning individual goal on Saturday.
Messi also won the penalty from which Luis Suarez duly converted during a stunning first-half blitz against Napoli.
But Lorenzo Insigne bagged his own spot-kick late in stoppage time to give the away side faint hope of a comeback.
And in a video circulating on social media, Messi was seemingly desperate to avoid a meltdown akin to Barcelona’s defeats to Roma and Liverpool.
The 33-year-old could be heard shouting in the Nou Camp tunnel: “We are going to come out strong, we have a two-goal lead, let’s not be assholes.
“Now we have to be calmer than ever.”
Barcelona seemingly heeded their captain’s warning as an assured second-half display saw them see out a 4-2 aggregate win over the Serie A outfit.
Messi and Co will now take on Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, who thrashed Chelsea 7-1 over two legs, in the quarter-finals in Lisbon.
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And Barca boss manager Quique Setien insisted there “won’t be a problem” with Messi starting that game despite missing training with a foot injury.
He told Spanish radio station Cope: ”Messi? He had some pain, but there shouldn’t be a problem.
“He was fine. We will analyse it, but there won’t be a problem.”