Miami International's friendly match in Hong Kong pushed Messi to the forefront.
The organizers of the tournament issued a statement late at night on the 4th, saying that they did not know in advance that Messi and Suarez were absent, and they were extremely disappointed by their absence.
We are extremely disappointed that Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez will not be able to play at the Miami International Tournament. We, like all the fans of the game, have been eagerly awaiting the participation of Messi and Suarez, and like all fans, we regret the absence of Messi and Suarez for this historic event. ”
Despite reports that the organisers were informed of the situation before the start of the game, we have not received any information in advance about the absence of Messi or Suarez. ”
The team doctor decided that Messi and Suarez were not fit to play, which disappointed everyone, including us. ”
Fok Kai-kong, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong's sports, performing arts, culture and publishing sectors, also issued a statement expressing his disappointment with the organizers' arrangements.
Fok Qigang said that in the past period, the organizers have been using the "football king" Messi as a promotion, and the overwhelming publicity has attracted the eager expectations of the public and fans, and the tickets have been sold out in an instant - the organizers and Miami International need to apologize and explain to the people of Hong Kong.
Fok Qigang also believes that although Messi was unable to play, the team did not increase interaction with the public in other ways to respond to and meet the expectations and support of the public, and the attitude was unacceptable to the fans and Hong Kong citizens.