Lionel Messi plays in Japan just 3 days after injury rules him out of US$7 million visit to Hong Kong, adds fuel to fans’ anger
- Messi comes on in 60th minute at National Stadium in Tokyo, as Inter Miami lose 4-3 on penalties after goalless 90 minutes
- Government says Hongkongers deserve explanation, as it emerges organisers paid almost US$7 million for star and Inter Miami teammates to visit city
Argentinian football star Lionel Messi played the final 30 minutes of his Inter Miami team’s game against Vissel Kobe in Japan on Wednesday, the sharp contrast further fuelling the anger of fans in Hong Kong where he sat out his game just three days ago citing an injury and left the city outraged.
He missed Sunday’s encounter at Hong Kong Stadium with his coach Gerardo Martino and club, with a bruised thigh keeping him out of the action. Miami also opted to rest Luis Suarez, although gave no reason for doing so.
But barely 72 hours later, the pair were seen fighting fit running around the National Stadium in Tokyo, with Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets all starting the Major League Soccer club’s final preseason game in Asia.
And in contrast to the 38,323 spectators that packed into Hong Kong Stadium on Sunday, there were banks of empty seats at the ground in Tokyo and only 28,614 seats at the 80,000 venue were sold.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said Hongkongers would be “baffled by this”, and said the city’s residents deserved “a reasonable explanation”.
“The coach of Inter Miami said Messi could not play in Hong Kong because of an injury, but he looked fine in the match in Japan, and was running around for a decent amount of time,” the bureau said in an emailed response to the Post.
The Hong Kong government has already demanded answers from the organisers, Tatler Asia, who – sources told the Post – had paid Inter Miami “almost US$7 million” to have the club visit the city.
