Explanations from Lionel Messi and Inter Miamiabout Lionel Messi’s absence from the friendly in the country, had been requested by Chinese media, politicians and fans in Hong Kong.
On Sunday there was great dismay at the event how the Argentinian star did not compete in a highly publicized match, with the crowd demanding answers and some of them even a refund. Tata Martino had claimed that Messi was not ready to play in the particular match that took place in Hong Kong. The reaction of the government was immediate, and it demanded an explanation from the organizers.
However, Messi’s participation in the next game in Japan he caused havoc, with the Chinese Media reporting: “The match in Hong Kong is the only one of Messi’s six pre-season friendlies on this trip where he was absent. The situation… has magnified these doubts and suspicions about the integrity of Inter Miami and Messi himself».
Shortly before the final game, the Argentine had apologized to Chinese fans on Weibo, saying it was a real shame he couldn’t play in Hong Kong due to injury. “Anyone who knows me knows that I always want to play… especially at these games where we travel so far and people are excited to see us play. Hopefully we can come back and play a game in Hong Kong,” he wrote in Chinese and Spanish.
The match in Hong Kong attracted 40,000 fans, with some spectators paying almost HK$5,000 ($640) a ticket. According to the Global Times, the Hong Kong Consumer Council said it received 547 complaints about Messi’s absence, involving a total of HK$3.64 million (US$465,466). In Tokyo, entire city blocks at the Japan National Stadium remained unoccupied, with just 28,614 tickets sold.
Source: Sport Fm
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