'Testimonial football' is how the Sky Sports commentator described Leo Messi's decision to lay a hat-trick opportunity on a plate for Luis Suarez during Barcelona's 6-1 win against Celta Vigo on Sunday night.
Messi had the chance to score his second goal of the game, Barca were 3-1 up at the time, but instead passed the spot kick to Luis Suarez.
Speaking on 2FM's Game On, Eamon Dunphy expressed outrage about the penalty saying great players of the past would never have dreamt of doing something similar.
Given that Johan Cruyff did exactly the same back in 1982, either Dunphy doesn't believe the Dutchman to be 'great' or that one simply slipped his mind.
No class. It totally lacked class. You have to respect your opponents and you have to respect the game and you have to respect the history of the game.
None of the great players of the past would have ever dreamt of doing anything like that.
Everyone who loves football, loves Messi and he has let himself down big time. He's let the game down. He should apologise and he should be reprimanded by his coach. You don't mess with the game. It's sacrosanct.
Dunphy also labeled it 'bolloxology' and added that should Messi not apologise, the regard in which he is held by the RTÉ analyst would fall.
He won't be doing that in a Champions League final if he gets there, he owes an apology to his opponents, to the fans and to the people who love him and made him rich and famous.
That kind of bolloxology - to use a colloquialism - there's no place for it in the arsenal of a great player. Lionel Messi is probably the greatest player we've ever seen. He was way out of order, his coach should reprimand him. He should apologise and if he doesn't he loses a little bit in my eyes. I feel very strongly about it and I'm no goody-goody.
You've got to respect the ethos of the game.
It's basically cheap. It's a stunt. It's self-indulgent.
Here's the penalty.
