Royston Drenthe accuses Lionel Messi of racist remarks
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Lionel Messi's reputation could take a hit after ex-Real Madrid player Royston Drenthe has accused him of repeatedly calling him "negro" after an on-field altercation.
"We played against each other a lot, and we always had problems," Drenthe said in an interview with Dutch magazine Helden.
"You know what really bothers me? That tone with which he always called me 'negro, negro'.
"I understand that it is very common in South America, but we cannot stand it. Mahamadou Diarra, my team-mate at Real Madrid, would explode when people called him a 'negro'.
"The Argentinean Gabriel Heinze and Gonzalo Higuaín used to say that on the training ground, but they soon stopped.
"When Hércules played Barcelona, during the game I had a small altercation with him. Before the match, he gave me a hand and said, 'Hola negro'. He didn't shake my hand again after the match. I don't think he'll invite me to his birthday party."
Neither Messi nor Barcelona have commented on the allegation.
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| Royston Drenthe argues with Barcelona forward Lionel Messi while playing for Hércules Photo: Getty Images |
Drenthe, who spent the season on loan at Everton, locked horns with the Barcelona ace a number of times during his spells at Madrid and Hércules from 2007-2011.
"We played against each other a lot, and we always had problems," Drenthe said in an interview with Dutch magazine Helden.
"You know what really bothers me? That tone with which he always called me 'negro, negro'.
"I understand that it is very common in South America, but we cannot stand it. Mahamadou Diarra, my team-mate at Real Madrid, would explode when people called him a 'negro'.
"The Argentinean Gabriel Heinze and Gonzalo Higuaín used to say that on the training ground, but they soon stopped.
"When Hércules played Barcelona, during the game I had a small altercation with him. Before the match, he gave me a hand and said, 'Hola negro'. He didn't shake my hand again after the match. I don't think he'll invite me to his birthday party."
Neither Messi nor Barcelona have commented on the allegation.
Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
