'I saw it and wanted to die' - PSG star responds after 'Messi c*** sucker' row

Updated: 21 Nov 2023 21:24 GMT
3 min read

Manuel Ugarte, Lionel Messi, Uruguay, Argentina — © ProShots

Manuel Ugarte has broken his silence on the incident that saw him making an obscene gesture during Uruguay's match with Argentina.

Last week, the PSG star and his Uruguay teammates squared up in a fiery clash with the reigning world champions. Marcelo Bielsa's side would prevail over Lionel Messi and company thanks to goals from Barcelona's Ronald Araujo and Liverpool's Darwin Nunez.

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But the headlines after the game weren't about Darwin Nunez scoring a goal. Instead, the media attention was drawn to an incident involving Ugarte, Messi and Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo de Paul.

During an angry exchange between Ugarte and De Paul, the former pointed at Messi and then made a fellatio gesture at De Paul, the meaning of which need not be explicated here. After the match, an angry Messi hit out at the PSG man and his fellow Uruguay players.

“I'd rather not say what I'm thinking but the younger people need to learn. They have a good group but they need to learn from the veterans how to respect. These games are always intense but very respectful, so they have to learn a little,” the Inter Miami star told Telemundo.

PSG's Manuel Ugarte is alleged to have called Rodrigo De Paul a 'Messi **** sucker' during Uruguay's win over Argentina.pic.twitter.com/obAZRJyrKK
— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) November 17, 2023

Ugarte responds

Now, Manuel Ugarte has broken his silence on the incident and insisted he is keen to apologise to De Paul. "When I was told that one of my gestures had gone viral, I didn’t understand," he told Uruguayan outlet Sport 890. "Then I saw it and I wanted to die. It’s not good."

“In the moment, I didn’t really realise. I probably did it without realising it. When I was told it had gone viral, I didn’t even remember what I’d done. Then I saw it and I said: I’m an animal!"

"Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, I do things that I shouldn’t do. I haven’t spoken with him [De Paul], but of course, I want to apologise because it’s something that has gone viral, but as he said, it stays on the pitch.”