Lionel Messi blames thigh muscle discomfort for not playing in Hong Kong football friendly after furore over no-show on pitch
- Argentinian says it was ‘bad luck’ that he couldn’t play in Hong Kong, after he felt discomfort with thigh muscle following match in Saudi Arabia last week
- Sunday’s Hong Kong friendly, a sell-out with nearly 40,000 fans attending, ended with boos and demands for refunds
Star footballer Lionel Messi has broken his silence over his no-show at Inter Miami’s match in Hong Kong on Sunday, saying it was “a shame” that thigh muscle discomfort had made it difficult for him to play and that he hoped to return “whenever he can” after tens of thousands of furious fans vented their anger.
Messi, training in Tokyo after leaving Hong Kong for the next stage of the US team’s tour, on Tuesday said he had wanted to take part in the game in the city.
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Messi says having to sit out Hong Kong friendly was ‘unfortunate’
“It was bad luck that I couldn’t play in the Hong Kong match,” the 36-year-old told a press conference ahead of Inter Miami’s friendly against J-League champions Vissel Kobe at the Japan National Stadium on Wednesday.
“I hope we can come back and play a game in Hong Kong.
“But the truth is that it is a shame that I was not able to participate.”
He said that he felt discomfort in his adductor, a thigh muscle, after a match in Saudi Arabia last week.
“I had an MRI and it came out that I had an oedema in the adductor,” he said, referring to swelling caused by fluid trapped in the body.
The Hong Kong friendly, a sell-out with nearly 40,000 fans attending, ended with boos and demands for refunds after Messi, featured heavily in promotions for the game, sat on the substitutes’ bench for the full 90 minutes. The most expensive tickets went for HK$4,880 (US$625).
Messi and Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, flew into the city by private jet on Friday for a three-day visit, including holding an open training session on Saturday at the Hong Kong Stadium followed by a friendly against a Hong Kong XI at the same venue on Sunday.
The superstar was nursing a hamstring injury picked up during his team’s stop in Saudi Arabia, but coach Gerardo Martino had said at a press conference he would “play as many minutes as possible” against the Hong Kong XI.
Messi on Tuesday said he had the muscle oedema condition but was not injured, so he wanted to give it a try. He said he appeared at Saturday’s training session because of the large number of people there, but the discomfort with his thigh stopped him from playing the next day.
“The truth is the discomfort continued. It continued and it was very difficult for me to play,” he said. “I always want to participate, I want to play.”
Messi said he had “very good feelings” compared with a few days ago, just before he joined a training session in Japan on Tuesday afternoon.
Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said Messi’s decision to discuss the Hong Kong situation in Japan rather than in the city was “a huge humiliation”.
The Hong Kong government and event organiser Tatler Asia expressed extreme disappointment over Messi’s no-show at the match, won 4-1 by Miami.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday asked Tatler Asia to disclose the details of its deal with the US football club and tackle the demands of disappointed fans.
Tatler Asia announced on Monday that it was withdrawing its application for HK$16 million (US$2.04 million) in government sponsorship for the event.
The Consumer Council said that as of Tuesday evening it had received 477 complaints related to the match, including 74 from visitors, involving a total sum of about HK$3.10 million.
