After Argentina’s best player Lionel Messi missed the team’s preseason friendly in Hong Kong, supporters booed Messi and Inter-Miami co-owner David Beckham and demanded refunds.
After Lionel Messi, an Argentina international, missed the team’s preseason friendly in Hong Kong, supporters booed Messi and Inter-Miami co-owner David Beckham on Sunday and demanded refunds. After the game, in which the visitors defeated a Hong Kong select XI by a score of four goals to one, the city government claimed that the organizers owed the supporters an explanation. Due to a hamstring strain, the World Cup-winning captain remained confined to the sidelines the entire time. The nearly full house of 38,323 people, many of whom had paid up to $1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) or more to witness their hero, were enraged at that.
Fans clamoring to watch the most talented football player of their generation play in the highly anticipated exhibition match erupted into cries of “We want Messi” halfway through the second half at Hong Kong Stadium.
At the final whistle, the jeers came to a crescendo, drowning out Beckham’s attempt to thank the crowd for “their incredible support,” while fans showed their displeasure with thumbs-down motions.
“I’m just really disappointed,” AFP quoted enthusiast Jonathan Wong as saying. “Everyone came to watch Messi, so I felt deceived.
“Without him, it’s just another regular Hong Kong Premier League match, with tickets merely costing HK$80. This time, we spent HK$5,000.”
Miami coach Gerardo Martino said the club’s medical team made the decision after an assessment on Sunday morning.
“We understand the fans’ disappointment over Leo’s (Messi) absence,” Martino told reporters.
“We understand that many fans are dissatisfied, and we respectfully request their forgiveness.
“We wish we could have sent Leo on for at least a while but the risk was too big.”
