Tatler Asia now says they discovered Messi would not play ‘15 minutes before the game’

Michel Lamuniere, the chairman and chief executive of Tatler Asia, which organized the Inter Miami pre-season fixture in Hong Kong, told a recent interview that they discovered Messi would not play just “15 minutes before the start” of the game.

The explanation contradicted the organizer’s original statement that they were only informed that the football star would not feature in the match during halftime.

Lamuniere told The Athletic that the agreement between Tatler and Inter Miami stipulated that Messi, plus star team-mates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, “had to play a minimum of 45 minutes unless injured”.

He noted that after being informed of the situation, they had spent the rest of the first half trying to find solutions for Messi to play, talk, and move around the pitch.

When asked whether this constituted as a breach of the agreement from the Inter Miami side, Lamuniere said Tatler Asia would be assessing all options and engaging with all partners to discuss possible solutions. 

“This does not include only Inter Miami but all parties involved, including the Hong Kong government and agents. We have been in constant communication with the club, including co-owner David Beckham, and at Tatler, we always seek to find solutions with transparent and constructive communication,” he added.

Inter Miami declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic.

The Tatler chief previously held a press conference - a day after the match - to read out a statement explaining the situation.

He said Tatler Asia was only told at half-time by the team that Messi would not play against the Hong Kong select team.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, said on the same day, Tatler Asia had previously assured Hong Kong officials that Messi would be playing in the second half.

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