Chants of “we want Messi” were heard throughout the stadium, as disappointed fans said they felt cheated by the organisers.
Lionel Messi's three days of adulation in Hong Kong ended in heartbreak for his fans, as the Argentine did not take the field in Inter Miami's 4-1 victory against a local league XI in a friendly match played during the preseason tour of the American club.
Spectators chanted “refund” and the Hong Kong government said match organisers, Tatler Asia, could face a reduction in funding after Messi remained on the bench during Sunday's match.
The World Cup-winning captain, who has a hamstring strain, remained rooted to the bench throughout the match. It provoked a display of anger from the near-capacity 38,323 spectators, who had paid more than HK$1,000 ($125) to see their hero, and in many cases five times that amount.
Midway through the second half, chants of “we want Messi” erupted throughout the Hong Kong stadium from fans desperate to see one of the greatest footballers of his generation in the much-hyped exhibition match.
The boos grew louder during the final 10 minutes, when it became clear that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner would not make even the briefest of cameos.
The boos increased at the final whistle and Miami co-owner David Beckham was drowned out by boos as he attempted to thank the crowd for “their incredible support,” while fans signaled their anger with thumbs-down gestures.
The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) had awarded HK$15 million ($1.92 million) for the event along with a grant of HK$1 million ($127,854) for the venue, it said. the government in a statement.
“As for Messi not playing the match today, the Government, as well as all football fans, are very disappointed with the agreement of the organisers. “The organizer owes an explanation to all football fans,” they stated.
“MSEC will take follow-up action with the organizer in accordance with the terms and conditions, including reducing the amount of funding as a result of Messi not playing the match.”
Organizers said they expected Messi and his former Barcelona teammate, Uruguayan Luis Suárez, to play, and were extremely disappointed that they were not present at the match.
“Despite some news, Tatler did not have any information about the non-participation of Messi or Suárez before kick-off,” they said in a statement.
“Their team's medical department deemed Messi and Suarez unfit to play, much to everyone's disappointment, including ours.”
'I feel cheated'
“I'm really disappointed,” fan Jonathan Wong told the AFP news agency.
“Everyone is here to see Messi, so I feel a little cheated.
“Without it, it's like any other normal Hong Kong Premier League match, where a ticket only costs HK$80. [$11]. This time we paid 5,000 Hong Kong dollars. [$625].”
Miami coach Gerardo Martino said the club's medical team made the decision after an evaluation Sunday morning.
“We understand the disappointment of the fans due to the absence of Leo [Messi] and we ask for your forgiveness,” Martino told reporters.
“I wish we could have sent Leo at least for a while, but the risk was too great.”
It was a bitter end to the days of “Messimanía” in Hong Kong.
Tens of thousands of people turned out just to watch him train Saturday, when he did little more than jog and stretch.
The team hotel was besieged by hundreds of fans trying to catch a glimpse of their hero, and a traditional junk ship sailed through Victoria Harbor with Messi's face plastered on its sails.
Messi can expect similar scenes in Tokyo when Miami continues its preseason tour with a friendly against J-League champion Vissel Kobe on Wednesday.
