Olaleye Idowu
Referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava has been banned for six months after asking Lionel Messi for his autograph, ESPN reports.
Nava approached Messi at the end of Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup victory over Kansas City last week and requested an autograph for a family member with special needs.
This prompted North America’s football governing body, CONCACAF, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the 36-year-old.
Nava has now been “banned from officiating in CONCACAF competitions for six months.”
The report further stated that if he reoffends, he will face an “indefinite ban.”
Although Nava is prohibited from officiating in CONCACAF competitions for six months, he will continue refereeing in Mexico’s Liga MX, which falls under the CONCACAF confederation.
