‘Lionel Messi was up on the bench!’ – Fiery Barcelona argument revealed after shocking Champions League defeat to Celtic in 2012 that led to players ‘scrapping’

The Liga giants suffered a shock defeat to Celtic in European competition back in 2012, with goals from Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt condemning them to a surprise setback in Glasgow. That result is still considered to be the Hoops’ greatest of the 21st century – given the calibre of opposition they were up against.

Mulgrew formed part of Celtic’s dogged defence that day, and he was eager to land a prized memento afterwards having agreed to swap shirts with World Cup winner Andres Iniesta. He did not, however, hang around long in the Barca dressing room once discovering that a heated post-match debate was taking place – with Argentine icon Messi, who is now on the books at MLS side Inter Miami, very much a part of the ranting and raving.

Mulgrew has told Open Goal: “They were having an argument when I went into the changing room after it. I had got Iniesta’s top and I went in after it. I was buzzing because we had just won, so I went into Barcelona’s changing room to get the top. I went in, opened the door and they were all scrapping. They were all trying to get at each other. Messi was up on the bench. I was thinking ‘no way’ and I just shut the door. You know it means something to them but you’re half thinking that they know they’ll win the next game and be fine. Again, I was getting drug tested after the game. I said to Xavi, ‘Are you [going] out tonight?’. He said, ‘No, maybe if we won. But if we get beaten it’s a catastrophe’.”

Barcelona and Celtic both progressed from their group that season, with the Scottish giants coming unstuck against Juventus in the last-16 while the Liga heavyweights were crushed by Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. The Catalan outfit did conquer Europe again a couple of years later in 2014-15, with that success representing Messi’s last triumph in the Champions League.