Lionel Messi sat out Inter Miami's clash with Hong Kong XI on Sunday
Lionel Messi's miraculous recovery from injury has sparked a massive public backlash in Hong Kong.
The Argentine superstar sat out Inter Miami's friendly victory over Hong Kong XI on Sunday, with manager Tata Martino blaming his absence on fitness concerns. But three days later he was selected to play against Japan outfit Vissel Kobe, which caused a bit of a stir.
Fans, media officials and even politicians in Hong Kong and China were left raging at what they perceived to be an egregious injustice. Many supporters demanded refunds, having bought tickets in the hopes of seeing Messi in action, while local media outlets claimed the World Cup-winner's absence was evidence of "differential treatment" given to Hong Kong.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Hong Kong government said: "Regarding Messi not playing the match today, the government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed about the organisers' arrangement. The organisers owe all football fans an explanation."
China's state-controlled Global Times questioned Messi and Miami's integrity, writing: "The match in Hong Kong became the only one in Messi's six pre-season friendly matches on this trip where he was absent. The situation … has magnified these doubts and suspicions on the integrity of Inter Miami and Messi himself."
Prior to Miami's clash with Vissel Kobe, Messi apologised to fans on social media, saying it was a real shame he wasn't able to take part in the match in Hong Kong due to an injury. He wrote: "Anyone who knows me knows that I always want to play … especially in these games where we travel so far and people are excited to see our games. Hopefully we can come back and play a game in Hong Kong."
However, Hong Kong's Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau effectively accused the Barcelona legend of being dishonest about his fitness, saying in a statement: "Three days later, Messi was able to play actively and freely in Japan … the government hopes the organisers and teams can provide reasonable explanations."
Messi wasn't the only famous Miami star left out of the clash with Hong Kong XI, an exhibition team made up of players in Hong Kong's First Division League. Luis Suarez spent the entire game on the bench, while Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were reduced to substitute appearances.
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