Furious soccer fans in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, felt slighted after Inter Miami stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets did not play against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The rumors became true when the trio did not take the field at BC Place, and the team decided to rest the stars.
Fans expressed their anger, producing posters and even wearing Inter Miami shirts with Messi’s name altered in protest.
One photo captured three men changing shirts with duct tape and a marker: one said “Missing,” another said “No Messi around,” while a third took a more vulgar route by writing “P***y “.
Other fans held signs, including a scorned fan who came from Hong Kong and who missed his second chance to see Messi after the Argentine did not play in the Chinese province earlier this year.
Fans in Vancouver were angry when Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez did not show up to play.
Some who had gone to see the Whitecaps play against Inter Miami changed their Messi shirts
Defiant coach Tata Martino defended his team’s actions, saying it is impossible for them to predict the future.
‘We trained yesterday. “When we finished, I consulted with the coaching staff and spoke with the players, and at that moment we decided that they would not be part of the team,” Martino told reporters on Friday.
“We understand people’s frustration, especially for wanting to see these players, but it is our job as a coaching staff to make these decisions that are uncomfortable.
“We understand what these players cause in the league and in other markets, but we have to take these measures that are sometimes unpleasant for people. But they are beneficial for the players,” the coach continued.
‘We cannot announce 20 days in advance what our movements will be. “We analyzed the situation on Thursday because we have three games in a week, but sometimes unfortunate things happen that do not allow players to participate in a certain game.”
And he added: “In this case, immediately after Vancouver we have two home games.” Assessing that, we felt it was prudent for the three not to participate in this game. They continued training and trained this morning and will do so again on Saturday to be ready for Wednesday’s game.
‘In the case of Busquets, it is worth noting that he is the player with the most minutes this season. We needed to find a spot for him to stop or have a break. We thought it was wise for this game to be.
“It is difficult to make a decision like this and announce it in advance and that is why we reach last-minute situations. But in any case I think it is the rival’s responsibility to have a plan B, because if, for example, Leo does not travel, he has to respond to his audience, it is not our responsibility. When we play at home and Leo is left out, we do not announce it 20 days in advance.
One man traveled from Hong Kong, a place Messi already despised, only to miss him again.
A young soccer fan holds up a Lionel Messi jersey before a match at BC Place in Vancouver.
“Maybe he won’t play because of an injury. When we went to Orlando we didn’t announce it in advance either. It’s the hosts who have to make decisions if these players don’t travel.”
The Whitecaps broke the news to fans in a statement on Thursday, telling them not to wait for the stars.
“Although we have not received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets for this weekend, we understand that they will not be making this trip,” said Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster.
“Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent and it was important for us to communicate this to our fans as soon as possible.”
In a statement, Major League Soccer said it “recognizes fans’ disappointment when prominent players are not available for matches.”
‘Each MLS club makes its own competitive and personnel decisions based on what it believes is best for the club and each player.
“The league will continue to review measures on how clubs report player availability.”
To add insult to injury, Messi and Suarez were spotted at an Inter Miami youth match being played at Fort Lauderdale’s Chase Stadium instead of the match in Vancouver.
To make matters worse, Messi was seen in Florida at an Inter Miami youth team match.
‘Welcome! It’s beautiful to see the stadium like this for this event. It is a pleasure to have you here at home to enjoy this beautiful experience. “I know the sacrifices that parents make every day, taking their children to training, matches and tournaments like this,” Messi said in a speech to the crowd.
Meanwhile, in Western Canada, fans who had spent hundreds and even thousands of dollars on tickets were left furious and demanding refunds.
While it is unclear whether these were awarded, the club halved the prices of all food and drink at the stadium.
People lamented the missing stars on social media, while others said fans who bought tickets ran the risk of Messi not showing up, especially in a stadium that uses a grass pitch.
