The “Messi effect” continues to surpass in Major League Soccer (MLS). Lionel Messi’s unexpected absence From Inter Miami’s match against Houston Dynamo has resulted in an unusual event, which forced Texan Club to give a public apology and offer free tickets to future games.
The situation highlights the significant effect of Messi’s presence and the challenges facing by MLS clubs to manage expectations and marketing strategies centered around the global superstar.
Houston DynamoThe marketing campaign for their match against Inter Miami strongly contained Lionel Messi, which aimed to attract a large audience to Shell Energy Stadium. The club even shared a social media post that highlighted a player’s Messi tattoo, Further, Messi’s presence emphasizes as an important draw.
However, this strategy backfired spectacularly when Inter Miami -Manager Javier Mascherano decided to rest Messi for the game. This miscalculation eventually led to widespread disappointment among the fans and emphasized a significant dependence on Messi’s star power.
The missed communication and public apology
Houston Dynamos depending on MLS’s official “Player Status Report,” Who did not list Messi as absence, worsened their faults. This report, which is usually used to inform teams of players’ absence due to injury or shutdown, Did not include Messis planned rest.
The assumption that Messi would play led to a significant error calculation in the club’s marketing and communication strategies. The realization of Messi’s absence resulted in Houston Dynamo released a public apology on social mediaExplains the situation for frustrated fans.
See also
Lionel Messi does not travel with the team: projected range for Inter Miami against Houston Dynamo
In addition to the apology, Houston Dynamo announced that they would give free tickets to future games to compensate for the disappointment caused by Messi’s absence. This gesture tried to mitigate the negative impact of the situation and maintain a positive relationship with their fanbase. However, the answer to social media was mixed, with many fans who expressed criticism of both the club’s handling of the situation and the broader dependence on a single player to generate interest.
