Source：REUTERS/Vincent Carchietta
[Saba Sports News] Recently, the MLS All-Star Game sparked a lot of discussion because Lionel Messi was suspended and couldn’t participate. Recently, MLS Prisedent Don Garber was asked about this issue during an interview. He said he understands Messi, but he had to follow the rules and impose the appropriate consequences. Garber stated, “If we don’t enforce the rules, we won’t be able to lead the league, nor will we earn the respect of the team owners.” He also mentioned that no matter whether Messi was suspended or not, the media would still criticize the decision. Therefore, the league shouldn’t change its decision based on external opinions. It’s important to maintain the authority of the rules so everyone understands that the rules apply equally to all. The editor believes that when making decisions, MLS needs to take into account commercial interests, as the development of the league depends on financial support. This incident also highlights that MLS may not have fully considered the significant impact of star players’ absence on the commercial side when formulating and enforcing rules. Finding a balance between rule enforcement and commercial interests is a problem that the league needs to think about.