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Argentine football fans spat at and insulted Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the Barcelona forward made his way home from

The Ballon d'Or favourite was travelling through Narita airport in

when he was targeted by River Plate fans.

Messi reacted badly, needing to be held back by Javier Mascherano - a former River Plate star - and manager Luis Enrique, while a number of River's directors were nearby and promptly condemned the behaviour of fans to Argentine media.

Barca star Messi has endured a tough relationship with fans in his homeland, who for years accused him of being unpatriotic and doubted his commitment to the cause after moving to Spain as a teenager.

Then, in the wake of defeats in the finals of the World Cup and Copa America, he was doubted again by followers of the national team and media critics alike, leading him to

However, the reaction to this incident in the local media has been one of disgust, with Olé lamenting "unfortunately the lack of respect knows no borders."

River president Luciano D'Onofrio said "there is always someone stupid, Messi a gentleman."

READ MORE: Barcelona 3-0 River Plate - Barca win Club World Championship