Lionel Messi's non-attendance sparks boos and demands for a refund at Inter Miami's match in Hong Kong

Hong Kong
CNN
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Thousands of soccer Fans in Hong Kong They were left disappointed when the Argentine star Lionel Messi He failed to take to the pitch in Inter Miami's friendly match on Sunday.

What started with ecstatic cheers and ecstasy ended with boos and calls for refunds at the sold-out 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium.

Inter Miami – looking to prove a point after failing to pick up a win during a pre-season world tour – easily defeated Hong Kong XI 4-1 in an event code-named Tatler XFEST Hong Kong.

But even in the lead-up to and during the match, there was a feeling that the result did not matter to the fans; More important is seeing Messi, an eight-time World Cup champion Ballon d'Or winnerblessing of the field.

Even the Hong Kong government expressed its displeasure over the 36-year-old not participating in the match.

“Messi was unable to play in today’s friendly match and the government and fans are equally disappointed with the arrangements made by the event organizer,” it said in a statement on Sunday. “The event organizer owes the fans an explanation.”

New signing Luis Suarez also did not participate despite attending the pre-match press conference, while other notable players Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets were only replaced in the second half.

An additional trophy presentation, fireworks and a speech by club co-owner David Beckham were whistled and jeered in a somewhat bizarre end to the trip. The booing continued when the big screen cameras turned towards Messi.

The shift in mood occurred in the final 20 minutes of the match – as shouts of “We want Messi” turned to “Where is Messi?”, while boos erupted every time a player other than Messi was substituted on the pitch.

Chants of “money back, money back, money back” could also be heard in English and Cantonese in stoppage time. according to ReutersTickets went on sale in December and cost between HK$880 and HK$4,880 (about $113 and $624).

CNN has contacted event organizer Tatler for comment.

In a statement on Sunday, Tatler XFEST expressed its “extreme disappointment” that Messi and Suarez will not play in Hong Kong, and said it had “no information about the non-participation” of the players before kick-off.

Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino explained that the decision not to include Messi was made after very late notice and under the recommendation of the club's medical staff.

“We understand the reception the fans have given to the absence of Leo and Louis,” Martino said apologetically, also thanking Hong Kong for the “care” they received throughout the weekend.

“This decision was made together with our medical team. We checked their physical health and noted that they could be at risk of injury if they entered the field so they could not play.

“We understand the fans’ disappointment and ask for their forgiveness. We wished we could play with them even for a short time, but the risk was too great.”

Martino was pressed about the type of injury Messi suffered as it actually existed Reports The star player had been suffering from a hamstring problem since Miami's previous friendly match against Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

“Leo has inflammation of the adductor muscle as we saw from the pictures of his muscles. We were expecting an improvement, but the situation has been there for several days,” Martino said, adding that Suarez suffered a knee injury during the Saudi Arabia trip.

“We were constantly checking in with the medical team, and we also had to take into account our commitments to the upcoming MLS [Major League Soccer]. So we came to the conclusion that Messi should not be included in the match.

“In fact, we were evaluating Leo's condition day by day. Yesterday [Saturday] He was in final training [session]We evaluated him at the hotel until this morning. “The decision had not been made until the afternoon.”

Hong Kong FC captain Yap Hung-fei, who played in the first half of Sunday's match, said he was “of course very disappointed” not to play against Messi, but he still appreciated the experience.

“On a personal level, obviously I'm very disappointed that he doesn't go to Hong Kong very often,” said Yap, who was leading a team of players from the top flight.

“But we have to think about our performance and not focus too much on the opponents, who were still at a high level. Playing in a full stadium is really satisfying.”

This sentiment was shared by local Messi fan Christer Leung, who leads the Argentine national team's supporters' club in the city.

“I think everyone is disappointed,” Leung, who named his son Lionel after the attacker, told CNN.

“It was so unexpected, I thought he was going to participate for at least five minutes. Otherwise we wouldn't have paid the ticket prices to get here. I heard the mood, which I think is justified but unjustified at the same time.

“The Messi in Hong Kong thing has been building for some time. Everyone was very excited and there was a lot of drama with the tickets.

“The training session [on Saturday] It was also quite disappointing because it didn't do much and was cut. Today everyone expected the amount to be a little higher, so everyone will be disappointed.

He added: “But, as a long-time fan, I fully respect the decision not to play him if he is really struggling, because he is 36 years old.”

“I blame Inter Miami for scheduling so many friendlies in so many different places. They should have invited everyone to come to America. I think they wanted to grow the brand internationally, which makes sense.

“Messi mania” had gripped the city with the team's arrival on Friday, with fans crowding the hotel where the Miami club was staying. Meanwhile, the stadium had reached full capacity during the team's open training session the night before.

Massive support for Messi also took hold in mainland China last summer after Argentina played a friendly match against Australia in Beijing.

This was the seventh time the star was in China, and his eighth could come in March, as Argentina confirmed two friendly matches against Nigeria and Ivory Coast in Hangzhou and Beijing.

Inter Miami now travels to Japan to play a friendly match against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday.