Star footballers Lionel Messi (left) and Luis Suarez walk in the pitch during a friendly match between Inter Miami CF and the Hong Kong team in Hong Kong on Feb 4, 2024. Both Messi and Suarez failed to play in the game. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
Argentinian football superstar Lionel Messi has further angered the Hong Kong Administrative Region government and legislators by taking to the pitch in a friendly exhibition match in Tokyo on Wednesday – three days after his no-show at a much-anticipated exhibition game in Hong Kong.
The SAR government and lawmakers have demanded an explanation for Messi failing to play at Hong Kong Stadium on Feb 4, which the event’s organizer claimed was due to a muscle injury, but left thousands of fans fuming, with some having paid several thousand dollars each to watch the game.
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In a statement on Wednesday evening, a government spokesperson again expressed “strong disappointment” over the incident, saying many Hong Kong residents were perplexed by the fact that Messi was subsequently able to play freely and intensely in Japan days after his no-show in the city.
Hong Kong very much requires an explanation from Messi’s team, Inter Miami CF, as well as the event’s organizer, Tatler Asia, the spokesperson said.
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong said the matter involved more than 40,000 people who had bought tickets to the match, as well as huge business interests, and questioned whether Tatler Asia had requested a professional medical report from the head of the team
The exhibition game in Hong Kong was the only one among six matches the football star had missed in the team’s world tour to play against local football teams.
Legislator Bill Tang Ka-piu has issued a strongly-worded ultimatum to Tatler Asia, accusing the company of violating Hong Kong’s Trade Descriptions Ordinance and misleading consumers.
READ MORE: Messi explaining HK no-show in Tokyo draws criticism
He demanded that the company refund all affected consumers within a week, or he would seek justice for some 40,000 Hong Kong consumers and fans through legal means.
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, who represents the sports, performing arts, culture and publication sectors in the Legislative Council, said he’s angered by the performance of Inter Miami CF and Messi himself for being “disrespectful” to Hong Kong fans.
He pointed out that Messi had mentioned twice at a press conference in Japan that he was not injured, but just felt slight discomfort, which meant that his “injury”, as claimed by his coach, wasn’t serious enough to prevent him from playing in the Hong Kong match.
READ MORE: Messi no-show fiasco: HK govt requires concrete back-up plan
Fok said the matter involved more than 40,000 people who had bought tickets to the match, as well as huge business interests, and questioned whether Tatler Asia had requested a professional medical report from the head of the team.
Fans react during the friendly soccer match between Hong Kong Team and US Inter Miami CF at the Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong, Feb 4, 2024. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
The lawmaker said if it’s found that Messi wasn’t injured at all, his no-show could be seen as a violation of both sports ethics and the event’s contract, which required the star to play for at least 45 minutes.
Messi, who was the Argentinian World Cup captain, sat on a bench at Hong Kong Stadium, watching from the sidelines throughout the entire game, drawing the wrath of Hong Kong residents. The SAR government, which had agreed to sponsor the event for HK$16 million ($2.05 million), was only informed 10 minutes before the match ended that Messi would not be able to play. The government’s remedial proposal for Messi to talk to the fans at the stadium also fell on deaf ears.
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Messi did not personally comment on the incident when he was still in Hong Kong.
Amid the strong discontent among fans, Tatler Asia withdrew its application for the SAR government funding a day after the game.
On Wednesday, Messi, who was already in Tokyo for his game there, posted on his official Weibo account in Chinese and Spanish that he regretted not being able to play in the Hong Kong match due to a groin injury.
As of Feb 8, the Consumer Council had received 1,004 complaints relating to the controversy, involving more than HK$6.93 million, with the biggest single amount reaching HK$82,960.
