Last month there were the tax troubles. Seems like he managed to throw most of the stink off himself by blaming his advisers. 

 

Now, a couple of disastrous events in the USA. Fans have paid hundreds and thousands of dollars at two "celebrity matches" in LA and Chicago. One was cancelled with almost no notice, the other one featured a disinterested Messi, and a "star studded" squad filled out by some random local university students: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/fans-paid-2-500-meet-lionel-messi-match-030808034.html

 

 

The U.S. leg of the Messi and Friends Tour got off to about as bad a start as it possibly could with the cancelation of Lionel Messi's charity match in Los Angeles on a day's notice and accusations of a "blatant attempt to defraud American citizens" from one of the game's sponsors. Though the final match of the tour in Chicago was played as scheduled on July 6, it was wrought with egregious problems that left its highest paying attendees feeling scammed.

 

 The match's promotors, Numero 5 (different from the LA organizer), were able to sell about 80 "VIP" packages that promised to include "tickets with unprecedented field access following a meet and greet with the players, as well as a jersey and ball autographed by Messi" for a whopping $2,500 a piece.

But the fans from all over the country who purchased those VIP packages thinking they would get the rare chance to meet Lionel Messi in person ended up feeling they were the victims of a "classic bait and switch." The autographed ball and jersey turned out to be "a cheap plastic ball" and a "T-shirt" with the Messi autographs either stamped on or smudged and the pre-match meet and greet consisted of only a few of the professional footballers in a hot, windowless room. Lionel Messi — who was substituted in the 68th minute of the match and left the stadium before the final whistle so he could relax in Ibiza with friends and family â€” was not one of them.

 

 

[My son] and I waited for 2 hours in a private room under Soldier Field with 75 other "lucky" fans....But waited and waited we did.... and at 5 minutes to 6:00 p.m. we were told he is not coming. They told us they would try to do it at halftime or at the end of game....but those both came and went... Messi left the field in the 68' minute and left the stadium.

I looked to [my son], put my arm around him and said I was very sorry. Hudson welled up and started to cry. He was devastated and I was devastated for him. No words could fix what he was feeling and what I was feeling for him.

 

 

 

 

 Now, I realize this is sensationalized to some extent, but  why is Messi happy to take advantage of his star power to do these tours, while accepting absolutely none of the responsibility for events using his name and image? It seems like the same thing as the tax case, a simple retort of "I didn't know". 

 

Like the world cup protests, i keep hoping that the outrage over stories like these will result in real change. That somehow these people will get satisfaction and Messi/his shady associates will not get away with this.

 

But of course, just like FIFA's heist in Brazil, once some football is played and some goals are scored, the media will forget all about this. Sometimes this game really seems like a cruel f**king joke. 

That is disgraceful!!

What a joke though, to pay $2.5k just to watch a dud match and a chance meet Messi, a fool and their money are easily parted.

The ball and print thing is a total con job though, unbelievable.

You would not get a Chelsea player doing that.

There's an update to this story. Now the promoters in Chicago are offering refunds; http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1497059/fans-paid-meet-messi-eligible-refunds?cc=5901

 

 

The VIP package was to include the private session with the four-time world player of the year, on-field seating and signed memorabilia. But Messi exited the game in the 69th minute and left Soldier Field shortly after.

 

Numero 5, which organized the event, says the early exit wasn't Messi's fault, blaming Soldier Field security personnel. 

 

 

Pretty laughable cover story. Nobody at the event told him he was expected to meet people who paid thousands of dollars? How inept are his handlers? (then again, I guess these are the people that tried to get him off the hook for taxes too) 

 

Still no update on what happened in LA. Honestly, I find it pretty insulting that this whole story has barely gone past without a whimper, even from the sporting press in the United States.

 

In this age where there is collective anger at the rampant, unchecked commercialization of the game, the American market seems particularly ripe for people to be taken for a ride. Everywhere in the US you see "new" fans who are still themselves getting into football.  I find it predictable that there are people out there who are looking to take advantage of all this money and enthusiasm with shoddy event management where they can make a quick profit, but what the hell are the professionals doing agreeing to this sh*t?

 

Everywhere you look, there is someone looking to fleece fans. FIFA were shut down by the courts in their bid to block the world cup on terrestrial tv, but honestly, it seems like just a matter of time until tacky player-centric tours and all pay television systems become the norm,

Still no update on what happened in LA. Honestly, I find it pretty insulting that this whole story has barely gone past without a whimper, even from the sporting press in the United States.

 

 

 

If he was a Chelsea player the world would have stopped turning by now.

 

I hope poor Hudson recovers.