Barcelona dismiss claim Messi called Drenthe negro.






The Everton winger has claimed that Messi called him ‘Negro’ on more than one occasion.

The Dutchman encountered the Barcelona star on several occasions during his time at Real Madrid and Hercules, and stated that Messi would always cause problems in off-the-ball incidents.

“We played against each other a lot, and we always had problems. You know what really bothers me? That tone with which he always called me ‘negro,” Drenthe stated in an interview with Dutch magazine Helden.

“I understand that it is very common in South America, but we cannot stand it. Mahamadou Diarra, my team-mate at Real, would become furious when Gabriel Heinze and GonzaloHiguain initially called him ‘negro’. But they soon stopped.

“When I played against Barcelona with Hercules, I had the same problems with Messi again. Before the match, he gave me a hand and said, ‘Hola negro’. He didn’t shake my hand again after the match. I don’t think he’ll invite me to his birthday party.”

The 25-year-old Drenthe has recently been in the news voicing his displeasure with Real Madrid and his desire to remain at Everton.