Lionel Messi, handed a one-game suspension by MLS for skipping the MLS All-Star Game, is “extremely upset” about the punishment, Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas said Friday.
Messi and Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba were both sanctioned on Friday for sitting out the MLS All Stars’ 3-1 win against the Liga MX All-Stars on Wednesday in Austin, Texas. Both players were voted into the showcase by the fans and media, but neither featured.
Alba and Messi will be unavailable for Inter Miami’s match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Long-established league rules call for a one-game suspension for players who miss the All-Star Game without permission, but that didn’t prevent Mas for expressing the team’s dismay at the ruling.
Mas said of Messi’s response, “He’s very upset, extremely upset today, as expected. I’m hopeful it doesn’t have an impact long-term. Will it have an impact initially, in the players’ perception of how the league rules work? Absolutely no doubt.”
The owner added about Messi and Alba, “They want to compete. They want to play games. That’s what they’re here for: to play and win. They understand the magnitude of (Saturday) night’s game. So the reaction was exactly as expected out of two competitive players who don’t understand the decision, who don’t understand why not attending an exhibition match leads directly to a suspension.
“The rule is what it is, but they don’t understand it. … I think that the punishment for the rule is frankly draconian.”
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano pointed out Friday morning that his team had “played the most games so far this semester, by far” and that Messi “showed normal fatigue from the number of games and minutes he’s been playing,” per ESPN.
“Look, players always have discomfort, especially when they play every three days. But luckily, (Messi) is returning today,” Mascherano said.
Messi, 38, shares the MLS lead with 18 goals and has 10 assists in 17 league matches this season. The Argentine forward also made six starts in the Concacaf Champions Cup and four in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Alba, 36, has one goal and eight assists in 18 MLS matches. The Spanish defender made seven starts in the Champions Cup and one in the Club World Cup.
–Field Level Media
