CONCACAF punishes referee for asking Lionel Messi for an autograph after the Champions Cup clash against Kansas City.
Referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava has been sanctioned by CONCACAF for requesting Lionel Messi’s autograph following the Champions Cup game over Kansas City.
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The former Los Blancos forward finally admitted that the Argentine star is the better player.
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Lionel Messi was the hero in their Champions Cup debut as Inter Miami recorded a 1-0 win against Sporting Kansas City.
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What happened
With Messi scoring the solitary goal in the match, Inter Miami beat Sporting Kansas City 1-0 at Children’s Messi Park, Kansas City, to advance into the second round of the competition.
Following the game, the referee approached Messi, seemingly asking for the Argentine’s jersey, a gesture typically associated with opposition players, hence the criticism meted against the official.
Ortiz Nava was reported to CONCACAF by Kansas City following the incident, as it suggests impropriety or possible bias. The federation has now responded.
Lionel Messi in action against Kansas City || Image credit: Imago
“We informed Concacaf and Major League Soccer about the incident after the match against Inter Miami CF on Wednesday. We await further review of the matter and the action Concacaf will take,” Kansas City said.
CONCACAF statement
The North American football governing body has released a statement addressing the incident. Therein, they revealed that Ortiz did not ask for Messi’s jersey; instead, he wanted the 37-year-old to sign an autograph for a family member with special needs.
Still, he is in breach of the confederation’s code of conduct for match officials and is said to have apologised and accepted disciplinary action.
“Concacaf is aware of the interaction that occurred between referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava and player Lionel Messi immediately following the final whistle of last night’s Concacaf Champions Cup match between Sporting Kansas City and Inter Miami CF,” a Concacaf spokesperson told ESPN.
“Upon investigation, Concacaf has learnt that the referee approached the player to request an autograph for a family member with special needs.
“The referee’s conduct does not align with the Confederation’s Code of Conduct for match officials and existing processes for these types of requests. The referee has acknowledged his mistake, apologised for the incident, and accepted the disciplinary action Concacaf has applied.”
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