Lionel Messi Hit In Head With Water Bottle Thrown From Stands (Video)

Soccer fans can be thankful that Lionel Messi is okay.

Messi, 27, was struck by a plastic water bottle thrown from the stands near the end of Barcelona’s win over Valencia on Sunday in Spain’s La Liga (first division). The Argentinian superstar appeared to be dazed following the incident but escaped serious injury at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium.

Messi was celebrating Sergio Busquets’s game-winning goal with his teammates in second half stoppage time when a fan threw the bottle toward the group of Barcelona players. The bottle, which contianed some liquid and was capped, hit Messi on the side of his head.

Messi then complained to the referee, but the official astonishingly cautioned the Argentine for time-wasting.

Common sense seemed to prevail by Monday. Valencia issued a statement condemning the incident. The Spanish club vowed to identify the bottle-throwing fan and ban him or her for life.

“The club will endeavor to locate the person who threw the bottle,” Valencia said, according to the BBC. “They will be banned for life from the Mestalla. Valencia CF operate a zero tolerance policy on such actions and rigorously enforce all security measures set out by legislation.”