On February 4, Beijing time, Miami International defeated the stars of the Hong Kong League with a score of 4-1. It was Miami's second win after last year. Messi did not play and refused to accept the award and give a speech after the game! This is the first time that a professional basketball club in Miami has missed a professional league final stage after last year's finals, which has attracted widespread attention from fans and **. The organisers have decided to withdraw the HK$16 million funding request for the exhibition match!
At 16 o'clock on February 4, Beijing time, the warm-up match between Miami International and the star team of the Hong Kong League with China started at the Hong Kong Stadium. In the game, Miami International and Hong Kong competed for the last rebound, but the score fell behind due to the disparity in strength between the two sides. In the end, Inter Miami won the match with a score of 4-1. It is worth mentioning that Inter Miami's star players, such as Messi, Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, did not feature in the starting lineup. This was a big disappointment for the fans - there was one player in the Miami team who missed the game, and he was Carlos Baggio, who was considered "Ronaldo Jr." The high-profile Messi did not play the whole game, and after the game he chose not to accept the award and speak!
In this game, the Hong Kong Stadium was full, and some fans even took a 12-hour plane from Xinjiang to see the style of the "King of the Ball". The atmosphere on the pitch grew tense as the players stepped onto the pitch, but Messi's absence brought the fans' emotions to a peak. Messi's absence provoked strong disgust among the fans, and when he left the field, angry fans shouted "return the money", some fans threw jerseys at Messi, and some fans kicked Messi's standing hair off and leaked it.
According to press reports, the contract clearly states that Messi must play no less than 45 minutes in this game. However, it was not until the morning of the match that the official representative of Inter Miami announced that Messi would be on the field, and the moment before the start of the game, it was announced that Messi could not participate in the game. After the game, Messi made a brief appearance and gave an interview to the fans to express his gratitude to the fans. Hong Kong** wanted Messi to accept the award as captain and give his opinion to the fans after the game, but Messi only appeared in the group photo session and soon returned to the dressing room.
Miami coach Gerardo Martino noted: "Messi is currently dealing with a tendon injury in his leg and we expect him to be involved for a while, but it is too risky for him. ”
However, just a few days ago, Messi played just six minutes in a spectacular exhibition match between Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Victory FC.
Huo Qigang felt deep regret about the progress of the matter, and he made it clear:
Recently, the organizers have carried out large-scale promotion activities with Messi, who is known as the "King of the Ball", as a publicity highlight, which has successfully attracted the attention and enthusiasm of citizens and football fans. The fierce competition on the pitch was immersive, and although Messi was not in person, the wonderful performances of other stars became the highlight of the event. Although all tickets have been sold out, Messi's appearance did not go as expected, so both the organizers and Inter Miami should apologize to the fans and the citizens of Hong Kong and give concrete explanations.
Fok also pointed out that although Inter Miami paid handsomely for visiting Hong Kong, in the context of Messi's inability to participate in the game, the team did not choose other ways to enhance communication with the public to meet their expectations and support.
On 5 February, Tatler Asia, the organiser of the friendly match, held a press conference in which a spokesperson announced that the HK$16 million funding request would be withdrawn.
Messi, as a world-class football star, has a large number of die-hard fans and staunch supporters. In this year's FIFA World Cup, the world football legend will bring fans a feast for the eyes and ears with his unique charm. Fans are eager to see him in action and get excited from it. Therefore, the football world has always wanted to have a chance to get up close and personal with the stars. Despite this, Messi's decision to be absent from the friendly match has undoubtedly left many fans frustrated and left out in the cold.
In support of their beloved teams and players, fans purchased tickets and attended the game in person. Despite the fact that the fans invested a lot of time and money to support him, he still responded to them with a haughty attitude. Does his behavior deserve sympathy and understanding? What he did had a profound impact on our emotions? Where is our dignity and honor? Where to place our dignity? In the reform of the professionalization of football in China, the rights of Chinese fans have been violated. Chinese football fans should take the initiative to oppose the players and teams involved in this matter, abandon their idol image, and firmly defend themselves and the honor of their country!
The organizers revoked the financial support from **, which is only a punishment for Miami International. The silence in the stadium seems to be sealed by time and money. Who will make up for the time and money wasted by the fans? Against the backdrop of the withdrawal of the ** funding, the fans on the field fell into confusion and disappointment. Did the organisers conceal information for ticket sales? Fans are anxious for a fair response from the organizers, not only on the fairness of the handling of the incident, but also on whether the time and money wasted should be returned quickly. Should I get a refund for my tickets? The passion of the fans is not insincere, and they dedicate time and money to supporting the sport they love. We hope that the organizers will provide a satisfactory response to these questions as soon as possible!
Huo Qigang demanded that Messi and Miami apologize