Messi fined for grabbing assistant coach’s neck

Major League Soccer penalized Lionel Messi an unidentified sum following his grasping of the neck of a New York City assistant coach at the end of Saturday’s game.

Following the last whistle, the Argentine World Cup winner was seen on camera confronting NYCFC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy. During the dispute, Messi twice touched Ballouchy’s back of neck.

In a statement, MLS claimed their disciplinary committee decided he had broken the “Hands to the face/head/neck of an opponent policy.”

In the 2-2 draw Messi had just set-up a stoppage time equalizer. For touching NYFC defender Birk Risa’s back of the neck at half-time, Messi’s team mate Luis Suarez also paid a similar fine.