​Barcelona forward Lionel Messi reportedly punched a River Plate fan in retaliation after being spat on while at Tokyo airport last weekend, according to NDTV Sport.





Messi had just featured in the club's 3-0 Club World Cup final win over River, and was preparing to board a flight to return home. However, ​as reported on Monday, an irritated group of River Plate supporters greeted the Barcelona man with abuse and insults, while one even appeared to spit at the 28-year-old.

In information that has emerged later, Messi is reported to have retaliated with a punch before the likes of Luis Suarez and Luis Enrique stepped in to calm things down. Messi had scored the opening goal in the 3-0 win - raising his hand in apology after scoring - while Suarez added another two afterwards.





River Plate president Rodolfo D’Onofrio has however branded the supporter concerned "an idiot" for his part in the incident, telling Fox Sports: “There’s always some idiot, to put it mildly. I’ve just read that Messi had problems in the airport with some fan. Messi is a gentleman.





“When he scored the goal he raised his hands in apology. He congratulated the club for having gone as far as we did and he told me that when he was a youngster he was on the verge of becoming a River player. So I applaud him. You need to know how to lose and when to recognise the other team were better.”





If the reports are proven true, in all honesty, it's hard to blame Messi, isn't it? Follow ​@_scottsaunders on Twitter!

PHOTOS: River Plate fans spat at and insulted Messi at the airport in Tokyo #fcblive [sport, efe] pic.twitter.com/nwGVz5SCT5 — FC Barcelona Fl (@FCBarcelonaFl) December 21, 2015

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