SUMMARY
- After narrowly losing 4-3 against Al-Hilal, Inter Miami faced Al-Nassr in the Riyadh Season Cup.
- Inter Miami coach Tata Martino decided to bench Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.
Inter Miami has finally managed to get their first win of the year, and surprisingly, Lionel Messi wasn’t a part of it. Over the last few weeks, Inter Miami has played against four different teams as part of their pre-season. They also competed in the Riyadh Season Cup and lost both of their matches. However, Messi’s side has finally won their first pre-season friendly without their talismanic skipper.
The last few days have been tough for Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami after their crushing defeat against Al-Nassr. After narrowly losing 4-3 against Al-Hilal, Inter Miami faced Al-Nassr in the Riyadh Season Cup. However, even without Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr humiliated Inter Miami to win the game 6-0. Messi didn’t participate in the match until the 83rd minute due to a hamstring injury.
(🌕) Leo Messi didn’t play because he has inflammation in the adductor. The medical team stated that it was too risky for him to play today. @hernanclaus 🚑 pic.twitter.com/e0xy7m7lNW
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) February 4, 2024
However, for their next friendly against Hong Kong on February 4, 2023, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino decided to bench Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. Surprisingly, the Herons cruised to a 4-1 victory with Busquets, and Alba playing cameo roles. The goals for Inter Miami came from Robert Taylor, Lawson Sunderland, Leonardo Campana, and Ryan Sailor.
The fans were quick to point out, or rather question, whether Inter Miami plays better without Lionel Messi. They pointed out that with Messi being sidelined, it was Inter Miami’s first win since September. Nevertheless, despite the fans’ speculation, it is important to point out that it was Messi who led Inter Miami earlier last year to the first title in their history by winning the Leagues Cup.
Lionel Messi gets booed by fans after missing Hong Kong clash
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi remained sidelined during Inter Miami’s 4-1 win against Hong Kong. Messi’s arrival was highly anticipated by the fans, with thousands of them coming on February 3, 2024, to watch him train in the stadium. While Messi was present at the stadium, he remained on the bench with his former FC Barcelona teammate, Luis Suarez.
INTER MIAMI BOOED OFF THE FIELD IN CHINA 😡
The mood in Hong Kong turned sour after Messi didn’t play in the #InterMiamiCF friendly. 40,000 fans chanted “Refund refund refund” and “Where is Messi?” (who sat on the bench). Beckham also booed post-match.pic.twitter.com/gjnbEfSRUr
— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) February 4, 2024
However, the fans left no stone unturned in letting their disappointment be known. The 40,000-odd supporters, who had spent a lot of money on the tickets, booed and whistled during the match. Some sections of the fans even reportedly chanted “Get our money back” after Inter Miami scored their fourth goal and demanded refunds.
Inter Miami coach apologizes for Lionel Messi’s absence
Not only Lionel Messi but Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham was also booed by the fans. Beckham, who was present at the stadium, incurred the fans’ wrath while trying to thank them for their support. The fans were visibly dejected after not being able to watch their hero in action. However, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino has issued an apology to the fans.
🚨🗣️Tata Martino (Inter Miami Coach) :
“I ask the fans for forgiveness and I understand their disappointment due to Messi’s absence. His injury could have worsened if he had participated, which is why we made the decision not to play him.” pic.twitter.com/mzYsZZ6vKu
— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) February 4, 2024
Tata Martino said, “I ask the fans for forgiveness and I understand their disappointment due to Messi’s absence.“ The former FC Barcelona and Argentina coach also added that Messi was excluded from the game after fearing that his involvement might have further worsened his injury. Following today’s game, Inter Miami will be back in action in a few days when they take on Vissel Kobe at the Japan National Stadium.