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| Messi (in pink hoodie) didn't even bother to suit up for game |
Hong Kong has a lot of egg on its face after superstar football player Lionel Messi didn't even bother to play in a friendly match of Inter Miami against Hong Kong XI. It was so bad that 40,000 fans who had paid a lot of money to see their idol were booing and jeering, and some demanding refunds.
The event was organised by Tatler Asia and in a contract with the government there was a stipulation that Messi would play for 45 minutes on the pitch. But 10 minutes before the game officials were told he was sidelined because of an injury.
However, he seemed to be fine walking on and off the field, which angered fans, some of whom flew in from China and around Asia for the chance to see Messi play. The event was supposed to be one of several mega events to entice visitors to Hong Kong.
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| The match was organised by Tatler Asia |
"We immediately requested them to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing in the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy," he said. "Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out."
What makes the debacle even bigger is that the government gave it "M mark status", meaning it was considered a major sporting event that deserved more official funding and official backing.
Tatler Asia received HK$15 million (US$1.92 million) for the event and another HK$1 million venue subsidy. Well Yeung says the government hasn't paid Tatler Asia yet, so the authorities will be grilling the company about who knew what when.
Inter Miami even cancelled its tour of the Kai Tak Sports Park on Monday.
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| Beckham's rep has plunged since the debacle |
Him plugging The Venetian and egg tarts was bad enough, but his reputation won't recover after this public relations mess.
Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun described Sunday's incident as "outrageous" and that it hurt Hong Kong's reputation as a mega-events hub.
So... how's the pitch to Taylor Swift going?
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