Argentina are now third, but only three points separates sixth-place Chile and Uruguay in second.
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“This decision reflects the consistent case law that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has applied in previous and similar cases”, a FIFA statement reads.
Argentina team secretary Jorge Miadosqui, speaking from the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, immediately confirmed that the federation would appeal the ban as it felt saddened over the decision.
Television pictures showed him swearing at Brazilian linesman Emerson Augusto do Carvalho at the end of the match after being harried and fouled by Chile’s Jean Beausejour.
Messi avoided any kind of sanction during the game, but he didn’t settle down and refused to shake Van Gasse’s hand at the final whistle. The head referee did not see what happened. “If I heard any offensive words, I would have acted according to the rules of the game“.
“We are very angry because of the way it was handled hours before playing”. “I can tell you that with absolute certainty”.
“Messi is sad like we all are”.
The Galaxy said Tuesday that Lletget was thought to have a sprained foot. There was no report from the referees.
After facing last-place Bolivia, Argentina will travel to play Uruguay on August 31.
Defender Nicolas Otamendi, midfielders Javier Mascherano and Lucas Biglia and striker Gonzalo Higuain were already suspended for the match after collecting bookings versus Chile, while full-backs Gabriel Mercado and Emmanuel Mas sustained respective hamstring and knee injuries last time out.
Argentina announced their intention to appeal the sanction, which Menotti considers to be excessive.
If Argentina are going to struggle like this without Lionel Messi, the South American powerhouses could very well miss out on playing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russian Federation. Bolivia are in ninth.
But as it stands now, Messi will miss three of Argentina’s final four qualifiers: at Uruguay (Aug. 31), vs. Venezuela (Sept. 5) and vs. Peru (Oct. 5), before he becomes available for the final game, at Ecuador (Oct. 10).
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And Argentinian journalist Fernando Czyz said Argentina left him out of the squad for last night’s match.
