Lionel Messi Accused of Calling Weligton a 'Son of a B---h' in Barcelona Draw

Malaga defender Weligton has claimed Lionel Messi called him a "son of a b---h" during the pair's fiery exchange on Wednesday night.

Weligton was seen grabbing the throat of Barcelona's iconic star ahead of a set piece during the 0-0 draw. While it is clear the centre-back was guilty of getting physical with his opponent, the 35-year-old claims his actions were induced by Messi's alleged taunt, reported by Tom Conn of Inside Spanish Football:

"

It was a play where I tried to make the wall, I blocked him and unintentionally touched his face. It wasn’t intentional. He then went looking for me and said to me, ‘hijo de p--a.’ That’s when I grabbed his face. These are things that stay on the pitch.

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A video of the incident in question can be seen below:

Social media erupted with debate after the situation occurred. It provides perhaps the only lasting memory of a frustrating goalless draw which saw both sides struggle to underline their attacking prowess. Weligton is unmoved by criticism of his actions and won't fret about being targeted for an act that was lucky to see him receive just a yellow card.

"Criticism from the media? I don't care, I only care about those that know me," said Weligton, per Conn. "Those who know me, know who I am, I don't really care about the rest."

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique highlighted the difficulty of facing Malaga at La Rosaleda Stadium in his post-match press conference. The newly installed coach acknowledged the home side should be applauded for Messi's lack of influence on the game, reported by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:

Interestingly, this isn't the first time Weligton and Messi have clashed. Back in 2009, the Brazilian defender appeared to deliberately step on his Argentinian opponent after muscling him out of possession, as seen below:

Barcelona remain unbeaten in five games this season with the draw. Remarkably, Enrique's side is yet to concede in La Liga and are currently ahead of Sevilla on goal difference at the top. The Blaugrana have accumulated 13 points so far—four wins and the draw with Malaga—placing them two points ahead of current champions Atletico Madrid and four beyond Real Madrid.

Messi has shown signs of reaching his best form this season and already has three goals to his name. The 27-year-old has also laid on four assists, per WhoScored.com, but failed to fire a shot on target during the encounter with Malaga. Javi Gracia's men defended confidently and were well worth their sixth point of the season.

Weligton's actions have dominated the post-match coverage, perhaps dampening the night for the underdogs. Although Messi's reaction to being grabbed was theatrical, the defender shouldn't lose his cool in a potentially match-changing incident. The referee could have easily branded a red card, providing Malaga with less chance of claiming the most impressive of their three consecutive draws.

Sergio Camacho/Getty Images

The hands-on defender is best known to European audiences for his spell with the Spanish club. Weligton was initially on loan at Malaga before making the move permanent in 2008, having previously spent time with Grasshoppers (Switzerland), Penafiel (Portugal) and a selection of Brazilian clubs. This is likely to be the first time many casual fans have stumbled across the player, ensuring a good first impression is now unlikely.

Both clubs will be looking to move on quickly. Barcelona are preparing to face Granada on Saturday before taking a midweek trip to Paris Saint-Germain, while Malaga need to grab their first three points since the opening day during Sunday's clash away at Getafe.