Lionel Messi was left in tears after Barcelona’s Anfield humiliation.
The Argentine superstar cut a desolate figure in the corridors of the famous old stadium as he broke down, and was inconsolable after the defeat.
Messi had promised the Barca faithful he would get them to the final in Madrid this season, and the frustration and bitter disappointment of the failure to deliver on that vow got the better of him.
Teams officials tried to console him after the game, but the tears still came for the striker regarded as one of the all time greats.
And to add insult to injury, he was left behind by the Spanish club, when they made a hasty departure from Anfield.
Lionel Messi 'left behind by Barcelona team bus' after Liverpool defeat
Messi was selected to perform UEFA’s random drugs test after the game and give a urine sample. But that process took longer than expected.
Barca were in no mood to linger at the scene of one of their greatest-ever humiliations, and so club officials order the coach to leave for John Lennon airport.
Messi eventually was taken back through the media mixed zone, and kept his glazed eyes fixed firmly to the floor as he passed through reporters without even acknowledging their presence.
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He was then taken in a car to the airport to join the flight back to Barcelona , where the Catalan giants are now facing an inevitable inquest into another failure to reach the Champions’ League final.
After the game, their players offered humble apologies for letting the fans down. Luis Suarez admitted his side played like schoolboys with their naive defending, and he said: "We have to apologize for the attitude, we were not a team. To our families, our children, our fans, we have to ask their forgiveness.”
And veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets added: “"They have been better than us. I apologise. Liverpool have been smarter than us, they were faster.”
