Inter Miami have yet to publicly address the match cancellation. Photo: TNS
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https://scmp.com/sport/football/article/3239406/lionel-messi-and-inter-miamis-china-tour-plunges-further-chaos-organisers-cancel-second-match Football
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami tour to China plunges into further chaos as organisers cancel second match against Chengdu
- Tour’s organisers give no clear explanation for cancelling the match between Miami and Chengdu Rongcheng, simply citing ‘various reasons’
- Major League Soccer side are still scheduled to play Qingdao on November 5, despite a last-minute location change as well as ticketing issues
Lionel Messi looks on during the international friendly between Argentina and Australia at Workers Stadium on June 15, 2023 in Beijing, China. Photo: Getty Images
Chinese football fans are at a loss amid more confusion and uncertainty surrounding Lionel Messi’s trip to China with Inter Miami, just six days before the team’s supposed arrival.
Miami, who had been scheduled to play two friendlies against Chinese Super League sides Qingdao Hainiu and Chengdu Rongcheng on November 5 and 8, are now set to play only one match.
The US club were on track to play Chengdu at the 60,000-capacity Phoenix Hill Sports Park, but organisers announced an ambiguous cancellation of the match between Miami and Chengdu.
“We are sorry that the second leg of Inter Miami Football Club’s trip to China will not be held in Chengdu due to various reasons. We ask for your understanding,” the tour’s organisers said in a statement on Friday.
The announcement came after a change in location for the first match, originally announced as taking place at Qingdao Youth Football Stadium, before being moved to the smaller Wuyuan River Stadium in Haikou.
The last-minute change infuriated fans looking to buy a ticket to watch the legendary Argentine play.
To further complicate things for supporters, the ticketing platform barred people from buying tickets which were supposedly going on sale at 4pm on Thursday, claiming the ticketing information to be false.
Lionel Messi leads Argentina onto the pitch for their friendly against Australia in Beijing. Photo: EPA-EFE
In addressing the inconsistencies regarding the tour, organisers said: “The current time and location of the Miami International Football Club related games at the Messi China Tour Chengdu leg on November 8, 2023, schedule and ticket information are all false information.”
After announcing the change in location for the match against Qingdao, Miami’s website had yet to address the second leg’s cancellation and the ticketing issues.
“The organiser is rubbish,” one fan wrote on China’s Twitter-like platform, Weibo. “If it doesn’t work well, you don’t have to do it.”
Another called the organisers “shameful” in a post. “If you rush to do something, you will quit when there are difficulties, and you will make announcements to continue doing it. How about cancelling it directly now? Do you respect the fans and the media?”