Chao News Client Special Commentator Wu Lichuan.
Messi responded to Chinese fans on Weibo. Image source Weibo.
In the match between Miami International and Kobe Victory of Japan on the evening of February 7, Messi came on as a substitute in the 59th minute. All of Asia saw it, especially the Chinese fans. Disappointment has sprung up again on the Internet.
On February 4, Miami International played an exhibition match with the Hong Kong Star Team at the Hong Kong Stadium, however, not only did the "football king" Messi fail to play "due to injury", but Miami International did not respond to the remedial measures proposed by the host side, such as Messi interacting with fans and standing in the front row when presenting the awards, resulting in the exhibition match being completed on time, but also "brittle" in the presentation effect. In this regard, not only the fans in the stadium booed, but the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region** also expressed "extreme disappointment", and the voice demanding an apology from Miami International and Messi was extremely sharp for a while.
As a key figure in the incident, Messi expressed regret at a press conference held in Japan on the 6th in response to the absence, and explained: After the examination, he showed that he was not injured, but he did not feel well, so he did not play. Since he was absent from the Hong Kong exhibition match due to "discomfort", it was an embarrassing choice to play in the Kobe exhibition match, whether Messi played or not. Of course, as long as Messi himself does not feel embarrassed, it will only be others who will be embarrassed.
It is worth noting that for Messi's absence, if you only observe it from a technical level, the contract is not strict enough, which may be the main reason for a series of irrational phenomena.
The details of the contract for this exhibition match are well known, in particular: Messi will have to play 45 minutes except for safety or health reasons. However, it is precisely the "health reasons" that are general, lack of standard support, and have strong subjective connotations that have become a major loophole. Because in this way, what should have been a rigid contract has become a "friendly negotiation" between the two parties.
And we know that such negotiations are unreliable. During the game, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region** repeatedly urged Messi to appear through the organizers, but the team did not respond until the end of the game that Messi could not play, as evidenced. In addition, the workaround was not written into the contract, which caused Messi to leave the field with his hands in his pockets without taking into account the feelings of fans, which could not constitute a "breach of contract". In other words, the establishment of such asymmetrical contracts is worthy of reflection, which provides a serious warning for similar events in the future.
It is worth mentioning that Messi's appearance in the Kobe exhibition match is not driven by the relevant contract, which is worth caring about and learning from.
Some people said that it was just an exhibition game, even if Messi was injured, it didn't matter if he "compared" on the court. This perception is quite marketable, but it is not professional and objective enough. A game is a game, and there is no such thing as a "comparison". If Messi really plays "with an injury" and is perfunctory, then public opinion will evolve into another look. Of course, the outside world can't identify whether Messi's "health reasons" are enough to affect whether he plays or not, so he can only say that there is too much room for flexibility.
But in any case, as a commercial exhibition game, everyone knows that the fans are coming for you, even if you can't "compare", the simple interaction with the fans and the basic etiquette of the event should not be difficult to do. But from start to finish, Messi was a little unkind to the fans. This is not common in the average exhibition game. Even if there is no breach of contract, it is at least very unequal to the enthusiasm and support of the fans. Of course, there is still no authoritative information on whether it is related to the failure to negotiate the commercial interests of the parties involved. And whether Messi's refusal to apologize is appropriate is also worth asking. To do well is to do well, and to do not well is to do not do well, this is the rational perspective from which we look at Messi as a person.
As for some people saying that Messi's "personality" before and after is not because he can't look down on Chinese football, this is completely an unfounded conjecture. You don't have to treat Messi as a "god", but don't say lightly that Messi has a "bad character" and "average quality", everything is based on empirical logical analysis, which helps us see the facts clearly.
No one wants to see an exhibition match become what it is now, and what we can do is not only to make up for the loopholes in the procedure and enhance the effect of cooperation, but also to judge truthfully and speak rationally. That's what the world of football should look like.
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