Meltdown in Hong Kong
Messi Fans were palpably furious when their idol was not seen playing on the field but resting on the bench as a substitute.
The rage was even more evidently displayed in Hong Kong as zealots publicly kicked off Lionel Messi’s cardboard head, damaging it severely. Displeased and disheartened the public suffered a meltdown in China on 4th February.
Inter Miami’s ruling on resting the star footballer was not received well by people who had especially bough tickets and travelled just to see their beloved sports star play in the recent friendly match against Hong Kong.
Fans Dismal Despite a Win
Inter Miami cinched a smooth triumph over Hong Kong XI, beating them with a score of 4-1. Despite the victory, the stadium was filled with resentment and melancholy as they couldn’t glimpse the Argentine legend on the field. Messi also did not come up as a substitute in the entire game.
Amplifying the despondence, the fans also missed seeing Luis Suarez in action. Sitting with Messi on the substitute bench, he too did not make a field entry. The yearning of the crowd was heavily converged as they all echoed the phrase “We want Messi” throughout the second half of the game.
Messi-less Match causes a Mess
The fans also showed repugnance to Inter Miami co-owner, David Beckham when after the concluding whistle, he attempted to cordially express his gratitude to the spectators for their support. They all booed Beckham as a way to scoff him and all thumbs were down in the arena.
Apart from this, they also rallied, shouting for refund on their disappointment. However, the authorities deny confirming to this demand. The government of Hong Kong states that the matter concerning Messi’s absence from the pitch was extremely disappointing for the fans as well as the government and further went on to comment that the organising committee owes them all a clarification and justification behind this anticlimactic move.
‘Too Big a Risk’ Replies Coach
Responding to this, Gerardo Martino, manager of the Inter Miami team issued an apology to the supporters citing Lionel’s fitness as a barrier. He acknowledged the poignancy in the air since neither Luis Suarez nor Messi was seen. He then informed the 38,323 fans in the stadium who had spent more than 10,000 rupees for a ticket, regarding medical factors involved in this decision.
If Lionel or Luis had played the match, they would have compromised their physical fitness. Messi is apparently suffering a hamstring strain.
‘We understand fans are very disappointed and we ask for their forgiveness.’ said Martino. Despite intently wishing to send the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner and Barcelonian Luis Suárez on the pitch, the risk of jeopardy was too huge.
