Messi fined for jersey tribute to Maradona

Lionel Messi was fined $720 for taking off his jersey to pay tribute to Diego Maradona, the Spanish soccer federation said on Wednesday.

The federation's competitions committee fined the Argentine player for his actions after scoring in Barcelona's 4-0 win over Osasuna in La Liga on Sunday.

After netting with a strike from outside the box, Messi took off his shirt to reveal the red and black of Newell's Old Boys－the Rosario-based club where Maradona briefly played late in his career and where Messi spent his formative years. The Barca superstar then blew a kiss with both hands to the sky as he looked upward.

The federation also refused to void the yellow card that was shown to Messi for taking off his jersey, and fined Barca $216.

Xinhua-Agencies