Lionel Messi news: James Milner reveals Barcelona captain called him 'a donkey' during Champions League clash

What's the story?

Liverpool midfielder James Milner has revealed that Lionel Messi called him a 'donkey' during the first leg of the Reds' Champions League semi-final clash against Barcelona at Camp Nou.

In case you didn't know...

Barcelona hosted Liverpool in what appeared to be a dream first leg for the Catalan giants as they established a thumping 3-0 win over Jurgen Klopp's resilient side.

The celebrations were, however, short-lived as the Blaugrana travelled to Anfield for the second leg only to squander their lead and lose out on a Champions League final spot after a 4-0 defeat.

The loss means Barcelona miss out on a much-awaited treble and Liverpool will head to the Champions League finals in Madrid where they are set to face fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

The heart of the matter

Milner has now revealed that an altercation with Messi during the game led the Argentine to call him a donkey.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Liverpool star revealed, "He wasn't happy. He was giving me plenty in Spanish going down the tunnel at half-time as well. He was calling me 'burro'. It translates as donkey but I think it's also used in Spanish football as a general term for someone who goes around kicking people."

"I asked him if he was all right, but he wasn't having it. I don't think he realised I understood his Spanish. He said: "That foul you did, that's because I nutmegged you". I left him to it at that point and went into the changing room. Look, I've only got admiration for him. He has earned the right to say what he wants.

"The stuff he did in that game, stuff he has done his whole career, it makes him tough to play against. If you try and stop him, you can't be scared of being made to look foolish. I've done it. I've been nutmegged by him and it has been viewed a million times. I wasn't the first and I won't be the last. He's an incredible player.

"But with players like that, you have to let them know you're there and not let them have everything their own way. You just need to try to disrupt their rhythm. You don't want to hurt him but it's a physical game and, if he's running the game, you try and knock him out of his stride. It's part of the game, the mental side," said Milner

What's next?

Barcelona missed out on a domestic double as they fell to a shock defeat to Valencia in the Copa del Rey final last night.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are preparing for the highly-anticipated Champons League final against the Spurs on June 1.