In the same way that Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nasr) has become the favorite of Korean fans after his ‘Sangam no-show’, it is now difficult to say you are a fan of Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) in Hong Kong.
The turnaround in Hong Kong fans is frightening. Messi missed Inter Miami’s preseason friendly at Hong Kong Stadium on April 4. It was against the Hong Kong Premier League All-Stars, and Messi didn’t come off the bench due to injury.
It was like watching South Korean soccer fans being betrayed by Ronaldo at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in 2019. Ronaldo was visiting South Korea with Juventus to play a friendly against the K League All-Stars. The agency that invited Juventus promised Ronaldo would play more than 45 minutes, and the 65,000-seat Seoul World Cup Stadium was sold out.
Ronaldo was on the substitutes list. He started on the bench, and many fans expected him to come on at some point and make a splash. But as the minutes ticked by, he didn’t. Fans were chanting his name and asking him to play, even if it was just for a few minutes, but he just crossed his arms and ignored them. He didn’t play a minute, and he didn’t apologize or ask for an explanation.
From then on, Ronaldo became public enemy number one in his country. He was once called “my brother,” but even now, many years later, you have to be a Shayfan to support Ronaldo.
So did Messi. Hong Kong fans packed the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium to see Messi. Naturally, Messi was expected to play. There was no talk of him not playing beforehand.
But Messi didn’t play, just sat on the bench until the end of the game. Inter Miami had included a clause in their contract with the organizers that required Messi to play 45 minutes. The plan was to prevent no-shows in the first place.
It didn’t work. Messi’s representatives informed them that “Messi will not be able to play” with just 15 minutes to go. The reason: a hamstring injury. Unlike Ronaldo, Messi’s injury was not obvious. He didn’t even take the field until eight minutes before the end of the game against Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia before traveling to Hong Kong.
Then the injury got worse. “I know many fans are disappointed, but I ask for forgiveness,” said Inter Miami coach Tata Martino. We thought about letting him play for a while, but the risk was too great,” he said.
“The decision not to play Messi was made very late. We did not play him on the recommendation of the club’s medical staff. “I understand the reaction of the fans to the absence of Messi and Luis Suarez,” he continued, “but this decision was made after consulting with our medical staff. Messi has an inflammation in the adductor muscle of his thigh. We hoped it would get better, but it has been getting worse for several days. Suarez suffered a knee injury during a match 안전놀이터 in Saudi Arabia.”
But it’s not easy for fans to understand. Naturally, the 40,000-seat stadium was packed with fans expecting Messi to play. Angry Hong Kong fans chanted “refunds” as the end of the game approached. One fan even kicked a Messi t-shirt, knocking it off his head.
In an unusual move, the Hong Kong government weighed in, saying, “The event organizers owe the fans an explanation for Messi’s absence. The government and fans are very disappointed with the event organizers,” and the Sports and Events Council issued a statement condemning Tattler Asia, saying, “We will also follow up with the event organizers regarding the deduction of sponsorship fees since Messi did not play.”
Messi immediately headed to Japan, where Inter Miami will play a friendly against Vissel Kobe of the Japanese J1 League on Sept. 7. Since Messi didn’t play in Hong Kong, there was a lot of attention on his physical condition and his no-show.
Messi kept his head down. “I’m sorry about what happened in Hong Kong,” he told a press conference in Japan. I was injured playing in Saudi Arabia. I tried to play somehow, but I couldn’t. Tests confirmed the injury. “I wanted to play in Hong Kong, and I hope to have the opportunity to play in Hong Kong again soon,” he said.
The Hong Kong fans were not pleased. “Hong Kong fans watched Messi’s press conference in Japan with a sour face,” said Japanese media outlet Sportshochi. The reactions of Hong Kong fans were not good.”
Negative comments from Hong Kong fans included, “Messi attended a press conference where Suarez, Martino, and David Beckham were absent,” and “Messi smiles and waves in Japan. In Hong Kong, he had his hands in his pockets and a sullen expression when taking a group photo” and “Hong Kong and China will be watching closely to see if Messi will play against Kobe”.