In a weekend of soccer filled with controversy, Lionel Messi, the Argentine star, expressed his dissatisfaction with a new Major League Soccer (MLS) rule, while Nottingham Forest's appeal against a four-point deduction was rejected.
Lionel Messi, the Inter Miami forward, was visibly frustrated when a new MLS rule forced him to wait on the sidelines before returning to the pitch after an injury check. The incident occurred during a match against Montréal, with Miami trailing 2-0 and Messi's team needing someone to take a free-kick. Messi had received on-field treatment following a tackle from defender George Campbell, which led to the free-kick being awarded.
The situation brought the MLS' "Off-Field Treatment Rule," introduced in April, into play. According to the rule, "If a player with a suspected injury remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds, the referee will stop play and wave the medical crew onto the field to evaluate the player. When safe, the player will be removed from the field and remain off the field for a minimum of two minutes for further assessment and treatment."
Unable to return to the pitch, Messi turned towards a television camera on the sidelines, shook his head and said in Spanish: "With these type of rules …" The moment has been widely shared on social media.
Despite Messi's absence, Matías Rojas took the free kick and scored, sparking a comeback that led to Miami's 3-2 victory. After the match, Miami coach Gerardo Martino told reporters that there were rules that "must be revised."
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Nottingham Forest's appeal against their four-point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) was unsuccessful. The club was punished in March for breaching PSR and, despite their appeal last month, the verdict was upheld on Tuesday.
The club argued that the Premier League's commission had erred in their original judgment by not treating the sale of Brennan Johnson two months after the relevant financial period as a mitigating factor, and again when not suspending the four-point deduction passed down.
However, the appeal board was unconvinced. "Neither of the points was one of principle," it concluded. The board found that the original commission had carried out an "exercise of judgement" and that its outcome had fallen "well within the range of decisions that were reasonably open to it".
The verdict leaves Forest locked in a battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League — three points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town with two games remaining. The club's manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, has called the situation a "mess" and admitted that the saga has been a distraction in the dressing room.
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