After claiming Lionel Messi had “the face of the devil” and that he intended to fight him, the Monterrey coach issued an apology.

On Wednesday, Inter Miami and Monterrey will settle a score that goes beyond the results of their Concacaf Champions Cup second-leg meeting. It revolves on Lionel Messi, of course.

Nico Sánchez, the assistant coach for Monterrey, apologized on Friday after a recording of him saying that Messi wanted to attack him after Monterrey’s 2-1 victory last Wednesday surfaced online. After the game, there was an altercation in the Monterrey locker room between Messi, a few of his Miami teammates, and coach Tata Martino, according to USA Today…

Messi’s right hamstring injury prevented him from participating in a game since March 13.

The team led by Messi allegedly challenged the officials during a heated match in which Miami received six yellow cards (two of which were given to David Ruiz, leading to his dismissal) and the coach of Monterrey, Fernando Ortiz, for remarks he made before to the game that seemed to imply that Miami would receive preferential treatment because of Messi’s celebrity.

Two days later, an audio recording of Sánchez’s account of the incident was leaked by Fox Sports. According to an interpretation of the remarks, he stated that Messi confronted him in the locker room following his criticism of the referees, employing strong language.:

“The dwarf was possessed, he had the face of the devil. He put his fist next to my face and says ‘who do you think you are?’ But because I didn’t look at him, I was looking away, I never answered back, it made things worse.

“And Tata Martino, what a poor dummy, I had him in front of me telling me, ‘Fool, you going to cry? Fool you going to cry?’ What a dummy! All those videos, they probably erased them all because it leaves them looking bad. What they did was really serious. They want to dirty the pitch.”

The final comment suggests that the match’s host, Inter Miami, removed the incident’s video.

Shortly after the leak, Sánchez released a video in which he addressed his remarks, expressing regret for being enraged and calling Martino by a derogatory term. According to a translation from USA Today, he did not offer an apology for what he called Messi:

“I am present with this video to talk about this audio that went viral today. I could hide with a text or the club could act for me, but I preferred to choose this means to show my face, and the words can be seen coming out of my mouth. I made the audio. I explain what happens on Wednesday in the mixed zone outside the locker room. Just as I detailed in the audio, which I sent to my intimate or private circle. But far from getting angry with them, it is my mistake … it will serve as a lesson for me,” Sánchez said.

“I understand that when the audio is made public. Many people feel offended or hurt. Since I do not know the Inter coach, Gerardo Martino, and I referred to him in a disrespectful manner, and I apologize. I am as Argentine as all of them and I will always defend my club. I’m here to show my face and take charge.”

Assistant coach Javi Morales of Inter Miami has downplayed the incident, arguing that the field should be the center of attention.

The two teams will now play again the following week, but Miami has a significant advantage this time around because Messi will be ready to help his team overcome a 2-1 deficit on Wednesday since he is expected to return to action on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.