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Lionel Messi’s Hong Kong trip is greatest let-down of all time as GOAT’s day on bench leaves Inter Miami asking forgiveness

Inter coach acknowledges ‘a lot of disappointment’ over Messi and Luis Suarez not playing, saying it was ‘the decision of the medical team’ earlier in the day
Fans who had paid large sums for tickets, chiefly to see Messi play in the flesh, were booing and chanting for refunds by the end of Sunday’s match

Feb 4, 2024, SCMP

Inter Miami’s victory in their much-hyped match at Hong Kong Stadium was completely overshadowed by outrage on Sunday, as fans were left angry and disappointed at the lack of involvement of the main attraction, Lionel Messi.

Instead of fielding questions about his team’s performance against a Hong Kong team, the American club’s head coach Gerardo Martino began his post-match press duties with a plea for Hong Kong fans’ forgiveness over Messi’s failure to make it off the bench.

As Inter officials mobilised crisis-management mode, there remained an element of mystery over precisely when Messi was ruled out through injury, and why no advance announcement was made, to stave off the fury that rained down from the stands during the postmatch presentations. David Beckham, the Inter co-owner who was himself a huge draw for the fans, bore some of the brunt.

Miami won 4-1, scoring three second-half goals following an even opening 45 minutes in which Henrik Anier netted for the home team soon after Robert Taylor’s 40th-minute opener. But unrest was growing by the time Ryan Sailor headed home the visitors’ fourth with five minutes remaining.

Not many of the 38,323 inside the So Kon Po venue cared much that Inter were ending a run of three straight defeats on their preseason tour.

No, those who parted with between HK$880 and HK$4,480, or much more via resale sites, were not paying to watch goals from Taylor, Lawson Sunderland, Leonardo Campana and Sailor. They were forking out to see the “GOAT” – a player often referred to as the “greatest of all time” – up close and personal.

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