Hong Kong organizer to partly refund Inter Miami tickets after Messi backlash
Inter Miami's forward Lionel Messi reacts during a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Vissel Kobe in Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 7. EPA-Yonhap
Disappointed fans of Lioorganizer who paid thousands of dollars to watch the Argentinian football star in action in Hong Kong but were left angry when he missed the game entirely will be given a 50 percent refund on tickets, organiser Tatler Asia has said.
In a statement released after Tatler Asia reportedly met government officials on Friday morning, the media company said details of the refund would be released before mid-March but it would only apply to tickets bought through official channels.
The organizer also apologized to all the fans who were left disappointed by the episode, which it said it had hoped would "become the pride of Hong Kong."
"We will not evade our responsibilities as an organizer, so Tatler Asia will provide a 50 per cent refund to the public who purchased match day tickets through official channels," it said.
Authorities said they welcomed the arrangement.
"The government welcomes the relevant decision and believes that the compensation plan of the organizer Tatler Asia is a responsible approach and shows its positive and responsible attitude," it said.
"According to the relevant game accounts disclosed by the organizer ... Tatler Asia has made its best efforts and [shown] sincerity [by arranging] a refund of 50 percent of the ticket price in response to the demands of all sectors of society."
But authorities said they understood the public still had "many questions" regarding Messi's absence on the pitch in Hong Kong, especially since the player became "active and conducted intense exercise" just three days later in Japan.
Pedestrians walk past an advertisement of Inter Miami's Argentine forward Lionel Messi at a shopping street in Shibuya district of Tokyo on February 5, 2024, ahead of the friendly football match between Inter Miami and Vissel Kobe, Feb. 7. AFP-Yonhap
"The government hopes that Inter Miami CF will eventually provide a reasonable explanation to Hong Kong people, and the fans who came to Hong Kong to watch the game."
Tatler has been under increasing pressure to account for the absence of the World Cup winner, and Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez, from last weekend's game. In the lengthy statement, it said it was "just as heartbroken as everyone else" over the fact the pair missed the game.
Highlighting that it had "invested millions of dollars and put in months of hard work" to bring the team to Hong Kong, Tatler said seeing them play in Japan "made us feel like we were slapped again."
Besides releasing the statement, Tatler also provided an unaudited breakdown of finances for Inter Miami's visit, which showed that the refund would end up costing the firm its entire projected profit, plus another HK$43 million ($5.5 million).
According to Tatler, it made HK$156.9 million from ticket sales, merchandising, sponsorship and advertising, but spent HK$143.9 million on appearance fees, renting the stadium, accommodation and travel, and various other associated expenses.
The net income of HK$13 million translated to an 8 percent profit margin, but refunds were projected to cost HK$56 million.
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Sources previously told the Post that Tatler had paid Inter Miami almost $7 million to make the trip.
On Thursday, lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu delivered an ultimatum outside the Small Claims Tribunal in West Kowloon, saying that more than a dozen people were ready to file their claims if Tatler Asia did not explain within a week why Messi stayed on the bench and offer refunds to those who paid more than HK$3,000 each for tickets.
As of Friday 2pm, the city's consumer watchdog logged 1,038 complaints linked to ticket sales for the match, including 265 from tourists. Claims have snowballed to about HK$8.9 million.
Disappointment over the game has prompted a review of authorities' system that offers organizers of large-scale sports events extra funding and logistics support.
Sports minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung also said the government had never seen the details of the contract between the organizer and Inter Miami, despite an understanding that Messi would play for 45 minutes unless he was injured.
Read the full story at SCMP