A Hong Kong lawmaker has warned that the organiser of Inter Miami’s controversial exhibition match in Hong Kong must give refunds to spectators within a week or face legal action.
The controversy surrounding football superstar Lionel Messi’s no-show on the pitch last Sunday continued to spiral. On Thursday, Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU) legislator Tang Ka-piu issued a “final notice” to event organiser Tatler Asia, telling the company to compensate and apologise to fans who bought tickets priced up to HK$4,880 to watch the World Cup-winning captain.
The lawmaker appeared outside the Small Claims Tribunal on Thursday morning to follow up on complaints linked to the match. If the organiser did not comply with the refund demand, Tang said he would initiate legal proceedings to “seek justice” for nearly 40,000 consumers and fans who watched the pre-season friendly.
“We hereby issue a final notice to your company, demanding that you refund consumers within one week, apologise to affected consumers and the wider fan base, and publicly disclose more details about the negotiations with International Miami Club,” read an open letter in Chinese which Tang wrote to Tatler Asia.
No-show
Last Sunday, the Argentinian football star disappointed more than 38,000 local fans and tourists when he sat out the 4-1 win at the Hong Kong Stadium. Jeers, cursing and calls for refunds were heard from the stands, with some spectators leaving their seats before the match ended.
The non-participation of Messi, who was said to be suffering from injury, sparked anger and frustration among fans and prompted the Hong Kong government to demand answers.
The authorities revealed that the football star was contracted to play for at least 45 minutes subject to fitness and safety considerations, while the organiser said it deeply regretted the no-show and would withdraw a bid for a HK$16 million government grant.
Tang on Thursday accused Tatler Asia of violating the Trade Descriptions Ordinance and said it had “misled” consumers with its promotional campaign. Messi was featured in a key position on the poster, while ticket sales platform Klook wrote that fans could watch the “astonishing skills” of Messi during the match.
“However, your company, as the organiser, ultimately failed to deliver on its promises, which raises suspicions of potentially violating the Trade Descriptions Ordinance by making false representations,” Tang said in the letter.
The legislator said Tatler Asia’s statement claimed that Messi and another football star Luis Suárez could not take part in the Hong Kong match due to injury. Messi told a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday that “muscle discomfort” had made it difficult for him to play.
Messi also managed to play for over 30 minutes in Inter Miami’s pre-season friendly in Tokyo on Wednesday.
“Star player Suarez started the match (in Tokyo) as part of the starting line-up, while Messi was substituted in as a reserve. The performances of these two players on the field were in no way indicative of being injured or unable to play,” Tang said.
Consumers suffered “serious losses” after buying expensive tickets to see this highly anticipated match, which “did not match the product description.” The lawmaker said Tatler Asia’s press conference on Monday evening, during which its CEO Michel Lamunière read out a statement without taking questions from reporters, was also “mind-boggling.”
As of 5 pm on Thursday, the Consumer Council had received a total of 1,178 complaints linked to the Inter Miami match. Among them, 944 were lodged by local consumers, while the remaining 234 cases were reported by tourists. The total amount concerned stood at HK$8,143,945.
‘Political motives’
China’s state-run Global Times warned in an editorial on Thursday of possible “political motives” behind Messi’s failure to play in the much-publicised match. It urged the team to come up with a “reasonable explanation” before its scheduled visit to China for a pre-season friendly in March.
Regina Ip, convenor of the government’s top advisory body the Executive Council and a pro-establishment lawmaker, blamed a “black hand” for Messi’s no-show. The term had been used by China to allege foreign interference in Hong Kong’s protests in 2019.
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