Organizers of a Hong Kong football match that garnered boos after star player Lionel Messi failed to appear said Monday they profoundly regretted the absence and will withdraw a proposal for a HK$16 million ($2 million) government grant.
The CEO of Tatler Asia issued a statement Monday evening confirming Messi’s contract to play in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong, unless injured.
Instead, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has a leg muscle strain, remained on the bench for Inter Miami’s 4-1 victory over a Hong Kong select XI.
The match finished with nearly 40,000 furious spectators booing Messi, his Inter Miami team, and club co-owner David Beckham after paying big sums to see the World Cup-winning captain play.
Fans who had paid up to $1,000 Hong Kong dollars ($125) to watch Messi screamed “Refund!”, gave thumbs-down signs, and jeered Beckham as he attempted to thank the audience.
“Tatler Asia deeply regrets the disappointing ending to what was an exciting occasion,” said Michel Lamuniere, chairman and CEO, in a statement.
“(Tatler Asia) has decided to officially withdraw its application for… the HK$16 million government grant.”
Lamuniere stated that the organisers were informed that Messi would not play only at half-time, after he had been selected as a substitute, and that “Tatler Asia immediately informed the government”.
This appeared to contradict Hong Kong’s sports minister, who told reporters earlier Monday that government authorities had been repeatedly guaranteed Messi would play, including beyond halftime.
It wasn’t until 10 minutes before the final whistle that Secretary of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Kevin Yeung said he and authorities were told Messi’s condition – inflammation of an abductor muscle — would keep him out.
“We immediately requested (the organisers) to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing on the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy,” Yeung went on to say.
“Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out.”
By midday on Monday, the Hong Kong Consumer Council had received 38 complaints about the match from 29 residents and nine overseas tourists.
They totaled HK$216,964, with the greatest individual complaint costing HK$22,338.
“Most of the promotional materials were using photos of certain players… so it was reasonable for consumers to expect that player to participate,” the mayor’s office stated in a statement.
“Consumers can also seek independent legal advice on whether the incident is suspected of breaching a contract or could be subject to civil lawsuits.”
On Wednesday, Inter Miami and Messi will play their final preseason match of the tour against Japan’s Vissel Kobe in Tokyo. It is unclear if Messi will recover in time.
The 36-year-old had only played six minutes in Miami’s previous match in Saudi Arabia. The next MLS season in the United States begins on February 21.