Concacaf has taken disciplinary action against referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava after he appeared to ask Lionel Messi for his jersey. This happened after Inter Miami’s 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the Champions Cup on Wednesday night.
Nava was seen approaching Messi at the end of the game, seemingly requesting his shirt. Later, he explained that he was asking for an autograph for a relative with special needs. However, his actions went against Concacaf’s Code of Conduct for match officials.
Concacaf released a statement through ESPN, stating that the referee’s actions did not follow the organization’s rules. The statement added that Nava admitted his mistake, apologized, and accepted the disciplinary measures.
Concacaf has not yet revealed what the punishment will be.
Inter Miami won the match 1-0, with Messi scoring the only goal in the second half.