In Hong Kong, disgruntled spectators expressed their frustration towards Inter Miami during a pre-season friendly match, as Lionel Messi remained sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Despite the absence of the 36-year-old Argentine World Cup winner, Inter secured a 4-1 victory against a local League XI in front of an audience of nearly 40,000 fans. The crowd’s discontent manifested through chants demanding refunds, and even drowned out a speech by Inter co-owner David Beckham with boos.
The Hong Kong government, through its major sports events committee (MSEC), criticized the match organizers, Tatler Asia, for Messi’s absence and hinted at potential consequences.
The MSEC expressed profound disappointment at the situation, indicating that the organizers owed football fans an explanation and suggested possible reductions in funding as a consequence of the incident. The event had received significant financial support, with 15 million Hong Kong dollars allocated, along with an additional one million Hong Kong dollars for the venue.
Despite a near-capacity turnout and fans paying substantial amounts for tickets, Messi’s absence became a focal point of discontent. The anticipation for Messi‘s appearance heightened throughout the match, especially as chants demanding his presence grew louder in the second half. Even Beckham’s attempts to acknowledge the fans were met with disapproval as the jeers drowned out his appreciation for the supporters’ enthusiasm.
In response to the backlash, the organizers clarified that they were unaware of Messi and Suarez’s unavailability prior to the match. Messi and Suarez had been deemed unfit to play by their respective team medical departments, much to the disappointment of everyone involved.
In a statement, the organisers said: “Despite some news reports, Tatler did not have any information about the non-participation of Messi or Suarez prior to kick off.
“Messi and Suarez were deemed unfit to play by their team’s medical department, to everyone’s, including ours, disappointment.”
Inter Miami manager Gerardo Martino empathized with the fans’ frustration, acknowledging the disappointment over Messi and Suarez’s absence while emphasizing the decision was made in consultation with the medical staff to avoid potential risks.
“We understand the fans’ disappointment in the absence of Messi and Suarez, and we apologise for that, but this was a decision made with our medical staff. If there was a way they could have played even a little while we would have done it, but there was too much risk involved.”
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