On February 18, Messi's "exit door" incident ushered in a more confusing reversal. Tatler Asia's chairman and chief executive claimed in an interview that Messi would not be on the pitch 15 minutes before the game was a stark departure from the organizers' previous statements.
This contradictory statement sparked outrage among fans. As early as February 5, the organizers claimed that they only learned that Messi was unable to play due to injury after the first half of the game. The inconsistent statements made fans indignant and blamed the organizers and Huo Qigang.
However, the truth seems more ambiguous than it seems. The reason for Messi's refusal to play seems to be obvious, but digging deeper, we will find that the Argentine king is also to blame.
First, let's focus on Messi's attitude towards Chinese fans. The scene showed that 40,000 fans almost unanimously rushed to Messi**. Compared to the lack of appeal of the major league teams, this game is clearly a feast for Chinese fans. However, Messi was indifferent throughout the whole process, his face was clouded, and his attitude even changed drastically when he was in Japan. This undoubtedly shows that Messi has no good feelings for Chinese fans.
Secondly, Messi's attitude towards the chief executive is also worrying. Although the Hong Kong government and the organizers behaved somewhat amateurishly at the event, this is not a reason for Messi to ignore the chief executive. It's like being a guest at someone's house, even if the host doesn't serve them well, you can't put on a displeased face to them.
In the end, Messi has not given a reasonable explanation to Chinese fans so far. While injuries and contract issues are understandable, this is not a reason for Messi to be indifferent to Chinese fans. Comparing Cristiano Ronaldo's trip to Shenzhen, we can see the stark difference between the two stars when dealing with similar situations. Messi doesn't even seem to be bothered to copy Ronaldo's homework, is this the management responsibility of the organizer and Huo Qigang, or Messi's own problem?
It is worth mentioning that Messi's "appearance door" incident has now evolved into the Rashomon incident. Some fans began to turn from silence to bombardment of the Hong Kong government organizers and Huo Qigang. However, we must recognize that it is a fact that Messi does not play, and it is also an indisputable fact that Japan will play in the game three days later. The organizers are too amateurish and Messi's attitude towards Chinese fans is Messi's own responsibility, and the two cannot be confused.
Finally, when the organizers proposed to refund the money, we couldn't help but ask, Miami International and Messi's team are in **? This question may reveal more about the turmoil. The whole event is not only a wave of a sporting event, but also a microcosm of the interaction between the stars, the organizers and the fans, which is worth pondering.