The association of the region (CONCACAF) for the countries of North and Central America, as well as the countries of the Caribbean basin, showed a Mexican referee for the attempt to receive an autograph from Argentinian player Lionel Messi, the eight-time holder of the Golden Ball.
After the match, in which "Inter Miami" defeated "Sporting Kansas City" 1:0 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup thanks to a goal by Messi in the second half, referee Marco Antonio Ortiz approached the Argentinian player, asking for a signature.
It turned out that he asked for an autograph for one of his family members with limited opportunities, but CONCACAF decided to notice the referee. In a statement from the ESPN channel, the association stated: "After conducting an investigation, CONCACAF established that the referee asked the player for a signature for one of his relatives with limited opportunities. The actions of the referee did not correspond to the rules of the association related to the behavior of referees and procedures, as anticipated in such cases."
Although CONCACAF did not disclose the nature of punitive measures, it added that the referee admitted full responsibility and apologized for the violation of the rules. Sporting will meet Inter Miami away on Tuesday in the return match.
