Liverpool midfielder James Milner reveals Lionel Messi called him a ‘donkey’ during first-leg of Barcelona tie

Liverpool midfielder James Milner reveals Lionel Messi called him a ‘donkey’ during first-leg of Barcelona tie
James Milner has revealed Lionel Messi called him a ‘donkey’ after the pair came to blows in Liverpool’s first-leg Champions League semi-final match against Barcelona.Liverpool lost the match at Camp Nou 3-0, with Messi scoring two of their goals, but the Reds staged a minor miracle to overturn the deficit at Anfield to win 4-0 and progress to the final in Madrid.2

Messi and Milner came to blows repeatedly throughout the semi-final tie

And Milner, 33, has revealed the Argentine was furious after he clattered him onto the touchline.“He wasn’t happy,” Milner told the Mail. “He was giving me plenty in Spanish going down the tunnel at half-time as well. He was calling me ‘burro’. It translates as donkey but I think it’s also used in Spanish football as a general term for someone who goes around kicking people.“I asked him if he was all right, but he wasn’t having it. I don’t think he realised I understood his Spanish. He said: “That foul you did, that’s because I nutmegged you”. “I left him to it at that point and went into the changing room. Look, I’ve only got admiration for him. He has earned the right to say what he wants.”Milner was ridiculed by fans after being nutmegged by Messi while playing for Manchester City in 2015, but he insisted it did not get the better of him ahead of the match in Barcelona.“The stuff he did in that game, stuff he has done his whole career, it makes him tough to play against. If you try and stop him, you can’t be scared of being made to look foolish. I’ve done it. I’ve been nutmegged by him and it has been viewed a million times.2

Milner clattered Messi onto the touchline at Camp Nou

“I wasn’t the first and I won’t be the last. He’s an incredible player.“But with players like that, you have to let them know you’re there and not let them have everything their own way.“You just need to try to disrupt their rhythm. You don’t want to hurt him but it’s a physical game and, if he’s running the game, you try and knock him out of his stride. It’s part of the game, the mental side.”Milner and Liverpool face Tottenham in the Champions League final on June 1 – a match you can follow live on talkSPORT.

---

Marko Arnautovic is set to stay with West Ham United after Guangzhou Evergrande pull out of a £45m deal to sign the Premier the Chinese Super League side have opted to pull out of the
Arnautovic likely to stay at West Ham after £36m Chinese

---

LIVE Arsenal Morgan News | One News Page

---

Transfer fee and key details on Chelsea star's move Football.London 16:58 5-Jun-19 Tottenham name Christian Eriksen price tag as midfielder seeks Real Madrid transfer Mirror.co.uk 16:53 5-Jun-19 Kepa Arrizabalaga makes big Eden Hazard claim as Chelsea star closes in on Real Madrid transfer Football.London 16:24 5-Jun-19
Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd medical TODAY, £71m Liverpool bid

---

Sheffield United beat 10-man Rotherham United in their lunchtime meeting in the Championship. Goals from Jack O'Connell and Mark Duffy - either side of Will Vaulks's first-half red card - saw the
Sheffield United v Rotherham report: Sheffield United Match

---

Tottenham bans three supporters for reselling Champions League final tickets. to three Season Ticket Holders who have listed their Spurs clamping down on the resale market for their

---

Everton's Andre Gomes has been charged with violent conduct after his tackle on Aleksandar Mitrovic during Saturday's Premier League defeat at Fulham, the Football Association has announced.

---

Manchester United take on Paris Saint-Germain tonight and one player who will not be involved is Adrien Rabiot. The France international is out of contract at the end of the season. He has been omitted from PSG's squad since December, training with the youth team. Despite PSG's injury crisis, The Sun report Rabiot has not […]
Manchester United 'make £170,000-a-week offer to Adrien

---

Manchester United News: Red Devils could break the bank for Atletico Madrid star midfielder RELATED STORY 5 players that Manchester United should sign in the upcoming summer transfer window
Manchester United have identified the perfect centre back

---

Transfer news: Manchester United and Man City target Sochaux wonderkid dubbed the 'new Paul Pogba' Premier League duo are among a number of clubs looking at Sochaux starlet Lucien Agoumé By
Transfer news: Manchester United and Man City target Sochaux

---

Manchester City 3-1 Watford: Raheem Sterling steals the show as he grabs a hat-trick against the Hornets to help Pep Guardiola's side pull four points clear in the title race and pile the pressure
Man City v Watford: Match report - Manchester City FC

---

The FA have welcomed Uefa charging Montenegro for 'abhorrent' racist abuse directed at England players during their Euro 2020 qualifier on Monday night. Gareth Southgate's side won 5-1 in
Ceferin and FA condemn 'abhorrent' racist abuse of England

---