Lionel Messi fined €600 for tribute to Diego Maradona

Barcelona star fined for taking off Barca shirt to reveal Newell's Old Boys jersey in honour of late Argentine great

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  Barcelona's Lionel Messi - wearing a Newell's Old Boys jersey in memory of late Argentinian legend Diego Maradona - celebrates after scoring during their 4-0 against Osasuna at Camp Nou on October 29. EPA

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  Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates after scoring their sides fourth goal while wearing a Newell's Old Boys shirt with the No 10 on the back in memory of Diego Maradona. Getty

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  Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their fourth goal. Reuters

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  Barcelona's Lionel Messi shoots during the match against Osasuna at the Camp Nou. AFP

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  Barcelona's midfielder Philippe Coutinho celebrates his goal with teammates at the Camp Nou. AFP

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  Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho celebrates scoring their third goal with Antoine Griezmann. Reuters

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  Barcelona's Lionel Messi battles with Osasuna's Raul Navas. Reuters

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  Barcelona's midfielder Antoine Griezmann celebrates scoring his team's second goal. AFP

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  Barcelona's Antoine Griezmann after scoring against Osasuna. AFP

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  Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen makes a save. Reuters

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  Martin Braithwaite of Barcelona scores his sides first goal past Sergio Herrera. Getty

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  Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho scores on Sunday. Reuters

Lionel Messi and Barcelona have been fined a combined €780 ($943) after the player was shown a yellow card for lifting his shirt to pay tribute to the late Diego Maradona following his goal in Sunday's 4-0 win over Osasuna.

Messi, who was fined €600 while his club were fined 180, paid homage to his late compatriot by taking off his Barca shirt to reveal a Newell's Old Boys jersey belonging to Maradona, a gesture that was praised around the world.

Yet the Spanish federation's competition committee showed little sympathy when upholding the rules, rejecting Barca's protests against the punishment and their suggestion it should be waived as the gesture was a tribute to Maradona.

The committee's statement said that while it accepted the gesture was a tribute, article 93 of the disciplinary code states that a player should be punished for removing their shirt when celebrating, irrespective of the motive.

The statement added that Messi could only have had the sanction waived if he had been given the booking in error.

Messi supports Newell's Old Boys and played for the club's junior team before leaving for Barca aged 13.

He had also paid tribute to Maradona, who played for the Rosario side in 1993, when the World Cup winner died last Wednesday.

"He has left us but he isn’t going anywhere because Diego is eternal," Messi wrote on Instagram.