The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) imposed a disciplinary sanction on referee Marco Antonio Ortiz Nawi for asking for an autograph from Lionel Messi after the match. This was reported by The New York Times.
Lionel Messi“Inter Miami,” where Messi plays, won against “Sporting Kansas City” 1-0 in the first match of the 1/16 finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on the night of February 20. After the game, the referee approached Messi and asked for an autograph for a family member.
“During the CONCACAF investigation, it was found that the referee approached the player with a request to give an autograph for a family member with special needs. The referee's behavior does not comply with the CONCACAF code of conduct for match officials. The referee acknowledged his mistake, apologized for the incident, and accepted the disciplinary measures taken against him by CONCACAF,” the confederation's official statement said.
However, CONCACAF did not specify what disciplinary measures were taken against the referee.
