According to @Voice of the Greater Bay Area, the "King of the Ball" Messi attended a press conference in Japan on the 6th, talking about not being able to play in the Hong Kong exhibition match, and expressed his hope that he would have the opportunity to play in Hong Kong in the future.
On the same day, in response to Messi's absence, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and Hong Kong SAR Legislative Council member Fok Qigang spoke one after another.
On February 6, local time, Messi attended a press conference in Japan. Source: Visual China.
At today's press conference, a reporter asked how Messi's injury is? How do you feel about disappointing Hong Kong fans?
Messi responded that he had already felt unwell during the friendly match in Saudi Arabia on January 29, and did an MRI after the game to show that he was not injured, but he had been feeling muscle problems. On February 4th, there were many Hong Kong fans who came in to support, and he also wanted to play in Hong Kong, but he really couldn't help it, and hoped that he would have the opportunity to play in Hong Kong again in the future.
For the upcoming friendly match in Japan, Messi said that his physical condition has improved in the past few days, but he doesn't know if he can play, and he has to see how he is in training.
On February 4, Miami International played a friendly match against Hong Kong and Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Stadium, and about 40,000 fans poured into the stadium that day, most of them for Messi. However, Messi did not play that day and refused to accept the award after the game, causing dissatisfaction among fans.
According to reports, the Hong Kong SAR** had made a request to Inter Miami, and Messi received the award as captain after the game and addressed the fans. However, Messi only showed up in the back row for a group photo before returning to the dressing room.
In the game on the 4th, Messi sat on the bench in training clothes throughout the game. Source: Visual China.
After the game, Inter Miami head coach Martino explained that it was a decision made by the team based on Messi's injury situation. In this regard, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR**) expressed its extreme disappointment.
Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR**), said at a press conference that the competition was organised by Tatler Asia and sponsored by the "M" Brand Programme, a major sporting event in the HKSAR. Among the conditions of the sponsorship is – unless there are safety or fitness issues, Messi must play at least 45 minutes.
Hong Kong SAR Legislative Council member Fok Kai-kong said that he was very disappointed with the arrangement of the organiser Tatler, and believed that the team of Tatler and Miami International needed to apologize and explain to the whole Hong Kong public.
On the evening of the 4th, the organizer held a press conference and announced the withdrawal of the application for the "M" brand and the funding of 16 million Hong Kong dollars (about 14.72 million yuan).
On the 6th, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that he was extremely disappointed that Messi failed to participate as the public expected, and the SAR still asked the organizers to do a good job of explaining the incident. The HKSAR** will urge the organisers to actively respond to the demands of fans who have purchased tickets and give a detailed account of the incident.
On the same day, Fok Qigang spoke out again on his personal Weibo, expressing the hope that a suitable plan could be considered to give fans, tourists and Hong Kong citizens a reasonable explanation and show due respect.
Screenshot of Huo Qigang's Weibo.