Bayer Leverkusen duo squabble over Lionel Messi shirt

Kadlec (left) got hold of Messi's (right) shirt at the final whistle

Two Bayer Leverkusen players have been criticised by their director of sport for squabbling over who gets to keep Barcelona star Lionel Messi's shirt.

"What the pair did was a bit over the top," said Rudi Voeller.

Michal Kadlec and Manuel Friedrich pursued Messi at half-time and full-time during their Champions League clash on Wednesday night.

Kadlec reportedly exchanged shirts with Messi at half-time, only for Friedrich to take it off him.

Determined not to be outdone, Kadlec, who scored Leverkusen's only goal in the 3-1 defeat, then exchanged shirts again after the final whistle.

Voeller told German newspaper Bild that he was disappointed with the way the two players handled themselves when "90% of the team was fully concentrated on the game."

Ahead of the second leg of their last 16 tie in Barcelona, Voeller added: "I can guarantee that Kadlec and Friedrich will auction off their Messi shirts for a good cause. I have not spoken to the pair yet, but I will do."

After the game, Kadlec was unrepentant about his behaviour.

"When you play against such a player, then you always want his shirt," he told Sky television.

"I would have swapped it immediately for a better result, but it is a shame that we did not do enough."