Thaindian News

London, Mar 11 (ANI): The president of a French village side has been suspended for six months over a bid to sign Bracelona’s ace playmaker Lionel Messi.

Cédric Enjolras, the president of FC Borne, a second division team in the Haute-Loire league, made the official offer to Barcelona this week.

It may have been a joke but the French Football Federation has failed to see the funny side, The Guardian reports.

Borne, who are based in a village of 400 inhabitants, were looking to add the 2009 and 2010 world player of the year to their ranks but were blocked by France’s governing body.

The player registration office of the FFF, which refused to submit it to the Spanish FA, intercepted the transfer offer.

“One cannot accept such behaviour. It is perhaps a joke but we are here to judge the facts,” said Yves Begon, the head of the FFF registration office.

Enjolras said: “To submit bids among small clubs, you need to fill out forms on the Internet. I decided to register a bid so I typed the name Lionel Messi, his date of birth and his parent club into the system.

“Then the league transmitted the request to the federation. They were shocked by it and refused to send it to their Spanish counterparts. I have been suspended for six months, of which three are suspended. It was just a joke, to amuse friends.” (ANI)