Lionel Messi embraces family holiday on the beach after disappointing Copa America semi-final exit
- Lionel Messi is enjoying a family holiday after crashing out of the Copa America
- He has been basking in the sun with wife Antonella and their three sons
- Copa America semi-final referee Roddy Zambrano has responded to Messi
Lionel Messi has been recuperating on a family holiday after the disappointment of Argentina's Copa America semi-final defeat by Brazil.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner posted an Instagram picture of himself with wife Antonella Roccuzzo beneath palm trees on a beach vacation.
The 33 year-old forward has been spending quality time with sons Thiago, Ciro and Mateo after a grueling 11-month season.
Lionel Messi poses for a photo with wife Antonella Roccuzzo while on holiday
Meanwhile, the referee who Messi claimed made 'bull****' decisions in the Copa America last week has hit back at the Barcelona star.
Messi was left furious with the performance of referee Roddy Zambrano and the use of VAR and did not hold back in his post-match assessment.
'At the first glance of contact, they ruled in their (Brazil's) favour and this kind of bulls*** distracted us from the game,' he said after goals from Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Jesus helped the hosts reach the final - which they went on to win 3-1 against Peru.
Roccuzzo posted a picture on Instagram with sons Thiago, Ciro and Mateo
'We knew it was going to be a difficult match, we knew that the losing team would look for someone to blame. We knew that before the match and obviously the guilty parties are going to be us (the officials).'
Messi was outraged by Zambrano's 'unbelievable' decision not to award Argentina a penalty when Sergio Aguero appeared to be tripped by Dani Alves in the area just moments before Firmino's goal.
Zambrano insisted that the collision 'was the forward's fault,' before adding: 'I don't know why they (television) didn't show the image from behind the goal where you can clearly see that Aguero goes in recklessly.'
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