Aziz Behich says his World Cup bust-up with Lionel Messi was nothing but a heat of the moment confrontation.
The Dundee United full-back came face to face with the man many regard as football's greatest in Australia’s last 16 clash with Argentina art Qatar 2022. The flashpoint appeared to anger superstar Messi as he went on to score the opener and to lead the South Americans to a 2-1 win over the Socceroos. Behich confirmed: “He (Messi) pushed me once the ball was out and I’ve always been, throughout my career, that when I’m on that pitch I kind of see black.
“I don’t see an opponent or a name or anything like that. I’m out there to help my team win and I do whatever I can for that to happen. There’s obviously respect there for the opponent and that, but it’s just a heat of the moment thing.
"It ended up being face-to-face, no words were exchanged, nothing violent or anything like that but one of his teammates tried to tell me not to speak to him or something. But it was nothing to over-exaggerate. It was just a heat of the moment thing.”
The United star almost salvaged a draw with a superb solo run that was only halted by Lisandro Martinez’s last-ditch challenge. Behich admitted: “I’ve got past the last guy.
"I actually opened my body and said: ‘As long as I hit the target here, it’s in,’ and looking back at the video the keeper’s actually gone the wrong way as I was taking the shot as well. It was a great tackle, pretty much like a Harry Souttar tackle, but this time it was on us. It would have been great – a special moment for our country and our team but it wasn’t to be.”
That was the 31-year-old’s second World Cup and he thinks that Australia have more than left their mark on the competition. Behich claimed: “I’m proud of this group and what we achieved at this World Cup and this whole campaign really; this whole past four years. Hopefully this is a step forward for Australian football.”
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