Chinese fans cheer after Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi (second from right) scores a goal in a friendly match against Australia at the Beijing Workers’ Stadium on June 15, 2023. Messi and his World Cup-winning teammates eased past Australia 2-0 in a thrilling night for fans. Photo: Xinhua

The Chinese pitch invader who hugged renowned football superstar Lionel Messi during a friendly match between world champions Argentina against Australia at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing on June 15 has offered an apology for violating the law and promised not to commit a similar offence again after he was released from administrative detention.
 
The 18-year-old male, surnamed Di, contacted the organizer of Messi’s eighth visit to China since 2004 to offer an apology by phone on Wednesday, the day on which Di was released, according to Jiupai News.
 
Di ran onto the pitch to hug Messi and ran toward Argentine keeper Emiliano Martinez, before being escorted away by security staff with a broad smile on his face.
 
During the phone call, Di told the organizer that he is a 11th grader at a senior high school. He said he regretted what he had done and expressed his apologies for disrupting the match and hurting the reputation of the event organizer. 

Di also said that he was from a family with a modest background. He could not afford concrete compensation to the organizer but could only express his apology verbally. He promised not to do anything similar in the future. 
 
Di said that he had been reflecting on what he did that day and regretted what he said during an interview right after the incident, during which he expressed his excitement and pride for getting so close to some of the most well-known players in the world. 

According to Di, he is a big fan of Messi and has been an avid fan of the big five European leagues of England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France but seldom watches Chinese football matches. Apart from football, he is also enjoys playing basketball, badminton and billiards and he is also a member of his school basketball team.
 
He told the organizer that he got cramp in his foot and sprained his ankle when jumping from the 3-meter-high grandstand and it was all adrenaline that got him all the way onto the pitch without feeling any pain before he stumbled and was escorted out by security staff.
 
After extensive communication with police over the past few days he decided to make an apology to the organizer. He also expected to apologize to the two football teams of Argentina and Australia, afraid that his impulsion would leave a bad impression of Chinese football fans.
 
Di was placed under administrative detention in accordance with the law and he will not be allowed to enter the stadium to watch similar event for a period of 12 months, the Chaoyang public security authority in Beijing said on June 16.
 
“This smile on the fan’s face even after getting caught shows what it means to fulfil your dream of meeting Leo Messi,” Messi’s fan club account @WeAreMessi, which has 1.1 million followers, tweeted after the incident.
 
While some Chinese netizens noted that the act makes people feel the passion for sports, others commented that it represents illegal behavior and should be stopped immediately to prevent other fans from following suit.

Global Times