Lionel Messi’s Global Tour With Inter Miami Has Been Very Messy And A PR Nightmare – News18

TOKYO: It’s all been very messy.

We’re speaking about Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s international tour of exhibition video games the place the primary present has been Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning captain.

The matches are about promotion and advertising and marketing, hoping to construct a brand new model by utilizing stars like Messi and Uruguayan Luis Suarez. Instead, the tour is getting principally dangerous PR, and outcomes that haven’t been a lot better in matches which have stretched from El Salvador, by means of Dallas, into Saudi Arabia, after which Hong Kong on Sunday.

The subsequent cease is Tokyo’s National Stadium on Wednesday towards Vissel Kobe, and a wrap-up match on Feb. 16 in Florida towards Newell’s Old Boys — Messi’s boyhood membership in Argentina, and the membership that could be his ultimate vacation spot earlier than retiring.

Through 5 video games, Inter Miami has been outscored 12-7 and gained solely as soon as. And that was Sunday in Hong Kong, the place a 4-1 victory over the native workforce was overshadowed by indignant followers holding up indicators demanding a refund and booing since neither Messi nor Suarez performed — each out injured and getting older.

Messi is 36 and Suarez is 37, and each are increasingly topic to nagging accidents.

“The marketing hype in promoting the event to global fans creates high expectations, coupled with government subsidy of the event,” John Grady, a sports activities legislation professor on the University of South Carolina, informed The Associated Press. “This also raises the expectations that marquee players will appear as advertised.”

Even although followers know the video games are for follow, and meaningless within the standings, they nonetheless select to pay excessive costs and attend. As the phrase goes in Latin — caveat emptor, or “let the buyer beware.”

“As more football teams recruit elite talent with large followings, including on social media, it creates a situation where non-appearance causes fan outrage and results in a public relations headaches,” Grady added.

Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino apologized for Messi’s absence after Sunday’s Hong Kong match. Fans who noticed follow on Saturday not less than noticed the Argentina captain in a kick-round, with Miami co-proprietor David Beckham additionally on the sector.

“We understand the disappointment of the fans for the absence of Leo (Messi) and Luis Suarez,” Martino mentioned. “We understand a lot of fans are very disappointed and we ask for their forgiveness. We wish we could have sent Leo and Luis on for at least a while but the risk was too big.”

Messi got here on for the final seven minutes within the 6-0 loss at Al-Nassr — one of many two matches in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — as Inter Miami prepares for its MLS season opener on Feb. 22.

It’s anybody’s guess if Messi will play on Wednesday in Japan, and if that’s the case, how a lot. Martino will definitely be underneath stress to make use of him some, however Messi is bound to have the ultimate say.

Inter Miami is to follow on Tuesday on the outskirts of Tokyo with snow within the forecast. Wednesday requires sunny skies however temperatures at sport time round freezing.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)