Callejon: Messi called Karanka ´Mourinho´s puppet´

Real Madrid forward Jose Callejon says Lionel Messi insulted assistant coach Aitor Karanka by labelling him ‘Mourinho’s puppet’.

The 25-year-old said the Argentine had also approached Arvalo Arbeloa after Wednesday’s 1-1 Copa del Rey draw.

It backed up reports he had a heated exchange with the Spanish defender in the Santiago Bernabeu’s parking area.

“Messi called Karanka ‘Mourinho’s puppet’ and then insulted Arbeloa after the match,” Callejon told reporters at a press conference.

“On the pitch, it is heated and we can understand why people say things they regret later. But that a fellow professional waits for an hour, an hour and a half, to insult a man with his wife is a little much.

“The good guys aren’t always good and the bad guys aren’t always bad.”

Callejon said Real Madrid had improved against Barcelona in recent fixtures, and urged his team-mates to go for victory in the second leg.

“Playing Barcelona is always difficult because they have a lot of possession but we have to go on and give our best in the second leg. We have improved in the last few matches,” he said.

“It was a good result for us. The tie is open. We did not want to concede, but we couldn’t. We have to go to Camp Nou with the intention of reaching the final.”