Concacaf disciplines ref for Lionel Messi autograph request

Concacaf has disciplined referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava after he was seen apparently asking Lionel Messi for his shirt following Inter Miami CF’s Concacaf Champions Cup win over Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

After the final whistle, the referee on duty approached Messi and appeared to ask for his jersey as a memento of the match. Although it was later clarified that Ortiz Nava actually requested an autograph for a family member with special needs, the actions went against the code of conduct for Concacaf officials.

“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 in a statement. “Upon investigation, Concacaf has learned 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, apologized for the incident, and accepted the disciplinary action Concacaf has applied.”

Sporting Kansas City added that the team informed Concacaf and MLS about the situation.

“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,” the team said.

Concacaf has not disclosed what the disciplinary action against the referee will entail.

Inter Miami triumphed 1-0 over Sporting KC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup first round on Wedensday with a goal from Messi in the second half.

The game was initially postponed by 24 hours due to a winter storm warning that forecasted between five to seven inches of snow across Kansas City. Though the city didn’t see snow on Wednesday, players were forced to participate in freezing cold temperatures that led Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano to label the conditions as “not human.”

Inter Miami will now host Sporting KC at Chase Stadium on Feb. 25 in the second leg of the series.