Messi: I was targeted by doping control

Lionel Messi has claimed he was subjected to more rigorous anti-doping controls than his Barcelona team-mates ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Officers from AETSAD (Spanish Agency for Protection of Health in Sport), who work in conjunction with Uefa, visited Barcelona and conducted tests on five players - Messi, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic, Claudio Bravo and Jordi Alba - prior to Monday morning's training session.

Afterwards Messi took to his Instagram account to reveal he came under particular scrutiny. “Doping control. Of the five chosen, I was the only one who had to give urine and blood samples... bit strange isn’t it?" he wrote.

On Saturday, Messi grabbed another hat-trick - his 21st in La Liga - as Barca thrashed city rovals Espanyol 5-1.

The Argentina forward has scored 13 goals in 14 La Liga appearances this term, while netting an additional seven goals in five Champions League appearances.

On Wednesday, Barca have the chance to secure top spot in Champions League Group F by beating PSG at Camp Nou.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Tags: