Lionel Messi
is a rage everywhere he goes.
This Monday the last stop of the tour with his Inter Miami team through Asia arrived in Tokyo
.
However, unlike most occasions, those who did not have the best memories of Leo were the fans in
Hong Kong
.
Due to a muscle discomfort, the star was preserved and he did not play in the Herons' friendly against a local team.
And the decision did not go down well at all in a stadium that sold out tickets exclusively to see the Argentine on the field, when from the event they promised his presence on the field in exchange for a
million-dollar sum
.
As soon as the meeting was announced last December, the tickets on sale sold out in a matter of minutes.
The fans of the Asian nation paid between 880 and 4,880 Hong Kong dollars (
between 103 and 573 euros
) to get any of the
40,000 tickets
available due to the furor that Leo generates in the Middle East.
However, when the voice of the stadium announced ten minutes before the start of the match that Messi would not even be on the substitute bench, the context of the match changed completely: the 4-1 result ended up mattering little in favor of Inter Miami and
the team. of Florida left the stadium amidst whistles
due to the anger of a public that was left without seeing Messi, nor
Luis Suárez
, and could only enjoy half an hour of
Sergio Busquets
and
Jordi Alba
.
But the public's anger did not stop there.
Videos quickly went viral, of alienated fans, who
with a kick worthy of karate destroyed Leo's face that was displayed on an advertising poster
.
Even the 40,000 spectators
did not hesitate to start asking for a refund
as they considered themselves scammed by the organizers and Messi himself.
A fan in Hong Kong pic.twitter.com/WTFnRcplpM
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) February 5, 2024
"
We are sad and disappointed
. What hurt us the most was that he didn't even come out to say hello, apologize or pass some balls to the public," lamented Victoria Tripodoro, an
Argentine student who paid a ticket to see her idol,
which sparked madness. total during their residence in the region.
What initially looked like a spectacle ended up being a story of widespread disenchantment.
Why did such anger arouse fans?
According to the organizers of the event,
Messi's presence on the court for at least 45 minutes was a guaranteed fact
.
However, such an agreement ended up being rejected by
Gerardo
Tata
Martino
when it came to putting together the team that took to the field.
After the friendly, where the result was in the background due to the absence of the '10', the coach explained his decision and clarified: "Leo has inflammation in the adductor muscle. When we sat down with the medical team they stated that it was very risky for him to play. today.
We understand the disappointment of the public who came to the stadium today due to the absence of these players
."
Messi, lining the court in Hong Kong in his only public appearance.
Photo: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
The Hong Kong Government's position and the organizer's response
Given the annoyance caused, the one who took matters into their own hands was the
Hong Kong government
, which expressed its "
deep disappointment
at the fact that Messi did not play and that the organizer did not immediately give a detailed explanation since the financing agreement was that
"Messi will participate in the match for at least 45 minutes, except for reasons related to his physical condition and his safety
."
He added: "Follow-up measures will be taken in accordance with the terms and conditions established with the organizing company, which includes reducing the amount of financing."
The Major Sports Events Committee had allocated HK$16 million
(US$2.04 million) for
Tatler Asia
to organize the event.
Photo: AP / Louise Delmotte
Although Leo did his part and did not play due to an injury, a situation that supported the agreement,
the promotion company was left in the eye of the storm
and was forced to give a response to the public.
At a press conference this Monday, its president and CEO,
Michel Lamunière
, confirmed that they will reject "the money received by the Government", although
he left the public in suspense by not revealing anything about a possible refund.
Furthermore, what leaves the company in check is that it itself would have confirmed on the day of the match that "
Messi would take the field in the second half
."
Even the Government of the eastern region exposed it even more by confessing that "other solutions were studied, such as Messi going out onto the field to greet his fans and receive the trophy, but it didn't work."
What time does Messi play in Tokyo?
In the midst of the conflict unleashed between the Hong Kong public, the government itself and the company organizing the friendly against Inter Miami, Las Garzas continue at the pace set by their preseason agenda.
That is why this morning they arrived at their last stop in the Middle East:
Tokyo
, where they will face
Vissel Kobe
.
Touched down in Tokyo 📌 pic.twitter.com/AZyV4njF9t
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) February 5, 2024
In what will be their penultimate game before the start of the MLS, the Florida team will face off this Wednesday, February 7 (starting at 7:00, Argentine time) against one of the most powerful teams in Japan.
Even the presence of Messi and Suárez is not confirmed either, taking into account that Martino wants to take care of them as much as possible for when it is time to play for points.
Furthermore, with the friendly to be played against
Newell's
on February 15 in Miami, the Argentine coach has the chance for his players to get into the football rhythm once again before hosting
Real Salt Lake
at home , for the first day of the MLS, on February 21.
With information from Agencies