Seeing star footballer Lionel Messi in action, how often do you get that opportunity as a Hong Kong resident? When it became known that Messi’s employer Inter Miami would play a practice match in the country, the tickets were sold out in no time. Forty thousand football fans paid big money, with ticket prices ranging from 115 to more than 600 dollars.
But the match against Hong Kong XI on Sunday turned out to be a deception for the fans. Messi remained on the bench for the entire match, for an understandable reason. The 36-year-old Argentinian is struggling with a thigh injury. Winter signing Luis Suárez (37), who previously played with Messi at FC Barcelona, also watched from the sidelines for ninety minutes.
The grumbling from the stands started during the match. “We want Messi,” it sounded through the stadium. As the match neared the end and Messi had still not come on, the fans in unison demanded their money back.
Hong Kong government
They received support from the Hong Kong government on Sunday evening, which had awarded the organization of the competition a subsidy of 2 million dollars (1.86 million euros). Sports Minister Kevin Yeung asks organizer Tatler Asia for clarification, international news agencies report. According to Yeung, the subsidy conditions stated that Messi had to make an appearance for at least 45 minutes.
Tatler Asia responded by stating that it had not received any information in advance about the benching of Messi and Suarez. In a statement, the organizer expressed “great disappointment that the two did not participate.” According to Argentinian Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino, playing the crowd favorites was “too big a risk”. “We understand that many fans are frustrated and ask for forgiveness.”
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David Beckham
Inter Miami is on a global promotional tour. The club, founded in 2018, with former footballer David Beckham as co-owner, hopes to attract new fans and sell shirts. So far the tour has not been very successful in terms of PR and the sporting results have also lagged behind expectations. For example, the club played a bloodless draw against El Salvador and lost to FC Dallas (1-0) and the Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Hilal (4-3) and Al-Nassr (6-0). Inter Miami won 4-1 against Hong Kong XI, a composite team with the best football players from the Hong Kong league.
In the coming weeks, Inter Miami will play against the Japanese Vissel Kobe and the Argentinian Newell’s Old Boys, the club where Messi attended his youth training before switching to FC Barcelona. It is not yet clear whether the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will be fit enough to play again.