There are requests that should not be made in public. Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava can now testify. The Mexican referee who officiated during the match of Concacaf Champions Cup who opposed Sporting KC to the Inter Miami of Lionel Messi on February 20 (0-1), was spotted asking an autograph from the Argentine star. He will be suspended from his duties for six months for all the competitions organized by the Concacaf.
It is Espn who had access to this information relating to the suspension of the official. On the other hand, Mr. Ortiz Nava should be able to continue to practice in the Mexican championship during this period. If it were to be taken up again by the patrol for a similar reason or any other in the future, it would then be liable to a punishment without time limit.
Not a first for Lionel Messi
The fault came to see Lionel Messi at the end of the game, while the 2022 world champion was still on the ground. He would have asked him for this autograph to then give it to one of the members of his family in difficulty. Still according to the media, Mr. Ortiz Nava has since excused for his action. This kind of request is not new. In 2023, when Argentina was to face Australia in a friendly match, one of the sidelines had come to ask for an autograph from “La Pulga”.
Again the scene had been captured. We thus saw there Lionel Messi affixing his signature on a paper, to the delight of the official.
