In Hong Kong, China, Messi, the "god of football" (Intermia), who sparked strong anger among local fans and authorities for not playing the game, mentioned his accidental injury and explained it. Messi said at a press conference held in Tokyo, Japan on the 6th: "It's bad luck not to be able to play in Hong Kong. It's a shame, but this kind of thing happens in football. ”
Messi attended a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on the 6th
Messi also added: "There was an uncomfortable feeling all the time, so it was difficult to run. I always want to be in a competition. Because we came from far away for this game and there is a lot of anticipation for our game, it's a shame. ”
Messi said he had an injury to his groin. It is reported that after the match against Al Nasr (Saudi Arabia), the results of an MRI examination showed signs of swelling in the injured area.
Messi and Luis Suarez, who is known as a world-class striker, were absent from the game without notice during the friendly match between Major League Soccer (MLS) Inter Miami and Hong Kong Football Team at Hong Kong Stadium on the 4th.
Among the tens of thousands of fans at the scene, not only local fans in Hong Kong, but also fans from Chinese mainland and nearby Southeast Asian countries came to see Messi, and they collectively demanded refunds on the grounds of "fraud" after the game, and then there were repeated denunciations from angry fans on social media.
Messi did not give a clear answer about not playing on the 7th
Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong SAR Government, said at a press conference that he was extremely disappointed that Messi did not participate in the competition, and the government authorities also came forward to express regret that Messi "did not play". Tatler, the organizer of the tournament, said in a statement on the 4th that he had not been informed of Messi's absence before the game and was as disappointed as the fans. Tatler later announced on Monday night that it would formally withdraw the "M" brand and the $16 million sponsorship it had applied to the Hong Kong government.
Messi repeatedly said at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan: "Hopefully we can go back (to Hong Kong) and play one more game." It's a pity that I couldn't participate in the competition [in Hong Kong]. ”
Inter Miami, which is currently on the Asian Tour, will play a friendly match against Vissel Kobe (Japan) at the Tokyo National Stadium on the 7th.
Messi did not attend any press conference on the 4th during his visit to Hong Kong, and the pre-match call was attended by coach Martino and teammate Suarez
Messi did not give a clear answer on whether to participate in the match against Kobe. Messi said: "I don't know if I can play [on the 7th], but I am in much better shape and I really want to participate," Messi said. ”
After his move to Miami, Messi did not like to engage with the media in public. The Associated Press explained on the same day that Messi's rare appearance at the press conference: "It is true that there is pressure from Japanese sponsors, including Wiesel Kobe." The outlet also quoted experts who are well-versed in the sports industry, law, etc., as saying that Messi's actions are not problematic in the general "contract".
Mark Conrad, a professor at Podom University in the United States, said: "There are indeed a lot of fans who buy tickets to see Messi. But unless there is an explicit clause, because the ticket itself is for watching the game, not for seeing a specific player. ”
If nothing else, it's hard to force a particular player to compete just because an expectant fan bought a ticket. In response, the Hong Kong government said that the sponsorship contract with the tournament organizer Tatler clearly stipulates that Messi must play at least 45 minutes in the game, unless there are safety and health concerns.
According to the Hong Kong government, the tournament organizer Tatler confirmed before the game that Messi would play in the second half, but did not say until 10 minutes before the end that Messi would not play due to injury concerns.
This is not the first time that a world superstar has suddenly announced that he will not play, citing injury, and Ronaldo (Al Nasr) has done similar things before. Back in July 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo, who had played for Juventus (Italy), made his debut at the Seoul World Cup Stadium against the K-League's top team in South Korea, but never set foot on the pitch.
When Ronaldo visited South Korea in 2019, he also sat on the bench and failed to play
The Korea Professional Football League included in the terms of the contract with the organizers and the authorities that Ronaldo was included in the squad and had to play at least 45 minutes, but Ronaldo shied away from the fans' desire to adjust his form.
At that time, with more than 60,000 spectators, the Juventus delegation arrived at the stadium beyond the scheduled kick-off time, and the game was postponed for nearly an hour, and the anger of the fans boiled. In this case, South Korean public opinion described Ronaldo, who didn't even score 1 second in the game, as a "bandit against the sky", but Ronaldo did not apologize afterwards.