Lionel Messi of Inter Miami, the U.S. professional football team that drew the ire of fans for the Hong Kong friendly "no-show," said, "The condition is much better" and hinted at playing in a friendly match against Vissel Kobe on the 7th.
Messi displayed a humble attitude at a press conference held at a hotel in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday. He is believed to have in mind that he angered about 40,000 soccer fans by staying in the bench until the end in a match against the Hong Kong All-Star team last Sunday. He also apparently is under intense pressure from Japanese sponsors who do not want the Hong Kong incident to happen again.
According to the Associated Press, Messi said in Spanish, "It is true that he is in very good condition compared to a few days ago."
"And it depends on how it goes (training). To be honest, I don't know if I can do it or not yet. But I feel a lot better and I really want to be able to run," he said.
Inter Miami will play its last preseason tour game against Bissel Kobe in Tokyo on Wednesday. Bissel Kobe was where Messi's teammate Andrés Iniesta played during his Barcelona days.
Messi also explained to Hong Kong fans that he had no choice due to an adductor injury. 메이저 토토사이트
"Actually, it was bad luck not to be able to play on the day of the game against the Hong Kong Professional Football All-Star team. The discomfort (in the groin) continued and it was very difficult to play."
"Unfortunately, in soccer, you can get injured in any game," Messi said. "It's unfortunate because I always want to play. It's even more so in these games where people have come all the way and want to see our games very much."