2024-02-05 08:45:37
The organizer of Inter Miami’s friendly match in Hong Kong had committed to playing Lionel Messi for at least 45 minutes, Hong Kong’s sports minister revealed on Monday, after the Argentine superstar’s absence sparked criticism. public fury.
The captain of the world champion Argentina team, who officially suffers from a strained hamstring, remained on the sidelines for the entire duration of the friendly match won 4-1 against a Hong Kong selection on Sunday . His package angered the 38,323 spectators who had paid a minimum of 125 dollars (115 euros), and in many cases five times more, to see their idol in action.
The chants of “pay it back!” » and the screams crescendoed until the final whistle when Englishman David Beckham, co-owner of the Miami club, was drowned out by boos when he tried to thank the crowd. The Hong Kong government issued two consecutive statements on Sunday evening, declaring itself “extremely disappointed”, and threatening to withdraw 1.9 million euros in public funding from the event’s organizer, Tatler Asia, a media outlet specializing in luxury fashion and lifestyle.
Negotiations during the second half
“One of the key conditions of our funding agreement with Tatler Asia was that Lionel Messi participates in the match for at least 45 minutes, subject to fitness and safety considerations,” said Kevin Yeung, Secretary of the culture, sports and tourism of Hong Kong, during a press conference on Monday. Yesterday, before the start of the match, organizer Tatler Asia reiterated that Messi would play in the second half. »
Kevin Yeung, who attended the match at the stadium with other officials including Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, said the local government had tried to negotiate with the organizer when the 36-year-old did not appear on the field at the start of the second half. Negotiations reached an impasse ten minutes before the end of the match, as “solutions” such as Messi appearing on the pitch to interact with fans and receive the trophy were refused. The minister added that the Hong Kong government would make a decision on whether to withdraw the planned financial assistance after reviewing the facts with the event organizer.
This fiasco confirms the failure of Inter Miami’s international tour. Last Thursday, the long-awaited duel between the Argentine star and his historic rival Cristiano Ronaldo was also canceled. Injured for two weeks, the Portuguese had to withdraw, which did not prevent his Al-Nassr team from winning largely (6-0).
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