“I Didn’t Realize It” – Manuel Ugarte Apologizes to Rodrigo De Paul for Alleged Lewd ‘Lionel Messi’ Gesture

Manuel Ugarte and Uruguay had an impressive outing against Argentina. The 22-year-old midfielder put in a commanding performance while man-marking Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul. However, Ugarte was also at the hub of a viral moment that captured him making an inappropriate gesture toward De Paul. It appears the PSG midfielder regrets the action made in the heat of the moment. Later, Ugarte issued a formal apology to the Atletico Madrid midfielder for his gesture.

The incident left a bitter taste for PSG’s new player. The defensive midfielder has become indispensable for Luis Enrique and Marcelo Bielsa. With a midfield partnership of Ugarte and Valverde, Uruguay will be serious contenders for next year’s Copa America. Yet, he lost the plot this time around. 

Ugarte issues an apology to De Paul for the viral ‘Lionel Messi’ gesture

Manuel Ugarte recently opened up on his viral moment with Rodrigo De Paul. According to Sport890.com, the Uruguayan said, “When they told me that a gesture of mine went viral, I didn’t understand anything. Then I saw it and I wanted to die. It is not good. De Paul took importance away and as he said, it stays on the pitch.”

However, upon realizing his mistake, the PSG man was quick to issue an apology. He said, “They (gestures) suddenly came out when you are hot in a game like that. I didn’t realize it. I continued and then I found out”. 

Luckily for Ugarte, De Paul seems to have moved on from the incident. The Argentine midfielder added that the incident was in the heat of the moment, but there is nothing beyond the field. Despite the controversies, De Paul was graceful to admit that Uruguay was the better side. However, his skipper, Lionel Messi, had a different attitude toward the controversial incident and did not hold back in the post-match interview.

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Messi responds to Uruguayan antics

Ugarte’s gesture did not go down well with Messi. After the match, the Argentina captain gave his thoughts regarding the incident. While accepting the nature and intensity of the Uruguay-Argentina clashes, Messi added that young players must learn to respect elders.

Moreover, Messi gave his thoughts on Uruguay’s performance by stating they made Argentina uncomfortable. Messi also highlighted the physicality and counter-attacking threat displayed by the opposition. It seems Marcelo Bielsa’s tactics have impressed the Argentine wizard.

Did Manuel Ugarte go too far with his controversial gesture? Or did the situation get the better of him? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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