China News Service, Hong Kong, February 4 (Reporter Liu Dawei) The American Major League Soccer team Inter Miami and the Hong Kong team of China held an exhibition match at the Hong Kong Stadium on the afternoon of the 4th. However, Messi, the star that fans expected, did not play until the end of the game that day due to injury. The Hong Kong SAR government responded by saying that the organizers owed fans an explanation and that relevant departments would follow up with the organizers in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Because Inter Miami is the team Messi plays for, there has been a "Messi fever" in Hong Kong in recent times. When reporters arrived at the Hong Kong Stadium at 12 o'clock that day, there was already a long queue outside the stadium. The stadium was packed with seats, and most of the fans wore the same pink jersey that Messi wore at Inter Miami. Looking around, the scene looked like a pink "ocean."
Look carefully, Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po of the SAR government, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Yeung Yun-hung and other officials came to support the event wearing pink clothing. Hong Kong entertainment and sports figures such as Tony Leung, Carina Lau, Deng Ziqi, and He Shibei also watched the game with the audience. At 14:58, David Beckham, chairman of the Miami International Football Club and former football player, appeared on the court. Although he had left the field for a long time, his appearance still attracted loud cheers from the fans.
The game started at around 16:00, and Inter Miami won 4:1. However, stars such as Messi and Suarez did not play in the game that day, causing dissatisfaction among fans.
After the game, Beckham expressed his gratitude to the Hong Kong organizers and players for their performance, and hoped that he would bring more exciting performances to the fans next time he comes to Hong Kong. He then went around the stadium to apologize for disappointing the fans.
Regarding the two players' failure to play, Inter Miami head coach Martino said at the post-match press conference that Messi is currently suffering from muscle inflammation and Suarez has a knee injury. It was the team's medical staff who did not allow them to play that day. jointly decided that playing at this time might worsen their injuries. "We understand that the fans are disappointed that Messi was not able to play and we hope for your forgiveness."
In response, the SAR government stated that this event was awarded the "M" brand recognition by the Major Sports Events Committee and received corresponding funding funding. The SAR government and many fans are extremely disappointed with the organizer's arrangements. The organizer owes the fans an explanation. The Major Sports Events Committee will follow up with the organizer according to the terms of the agreement, including the possibility of deducting sponsorship payments due to Messi's failure to appear.
According to statistics, nearly 40,000 people attended the game that day. (over)