Lionel Messi pitch invader faces criminal charges

La Liga said that it will take legal action against the pitch invader who breached security during Barcelona's away game against Mallorca in order to click a selfie with Lionel Messi.

The match was played over the weekend behind closed doors, and the game was Barca's first after the novel coronavirus lockdown was imposed in Spain back in March.

The fan who invaded the pitch was wearing an Argentina jersey with Messi's name and number on it. The person appeared on the ground early during the second half of the game which the visitors won 4-0.

Before being grabbed and taken out by the security staff, the person managed to click a picture within a couple of metres of Messi.

Later, the fan claimed that he crossed a two-metre high fence in order to gain access to Mallorca's stadium.

In an interview, the French Mallorca resident who invaded the pitch said, "I had planned this ever since I knew the match was happening. I wanted a photo with Messi and to meet him because he's my idol."

According to the BBC, La Liga considers the incident to be "a criminal act." The Spanish league made it clear that it stands for the "total condemnation" of the incident.

The reason why the league authorities are unhappy about the pitch invasion is that such conduct threatens the health of others and puts them at risk of virus contraction. According to La Liga, such incidents also damage the integrity of the competition.

Incidents of pitch invasion have happened multiple times in the past, especially in La Liga. Every time, the violators were warned and penalised. But this time, things are taking a serious turn.

The main reason behind such a development is because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Sports authorities have been strictly instructed by the government to organise matches behind closed doors and maintain social distance as much as possible.

Amidst such strict regulations, if a person's immature behaviour compromises the health of the footballers, it is understandable that the authorities won't be happy.

Now that La Liga has returned to action, fans are expecting fierce competition between Barcelona and Real Madrid to claim the top spot. On Sunday, Real beat Eibar 3-1 and maintained its second position in the league.

Barca is currently leading the table with 61 points in 28 matches, while Los Blancos are two points behind the leaders after playing an equal number of games. It would be interesting to see who ends up lifting the trophy when the season concludes in July.