Argentina team led by Messi not to visit Kerala in November

Ernakulam: In a major blow to the Kerala-based sponsors and the state football association, it has now been reported that Lionel Messi-led Argentine men's football team's proposed Kerala visit in November is been cancelled. The new revelation comes from a Spanish-language media on October 16.

La Nacion quoted an official with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in a report that talked about the national team's fixtures in the next FIFA window (November 10-18).

However, it is not just the Spanish media, but an Argentinean media too reiterated the reports made by La Nacion.

"We did everything possible to make it happen in November; a delegation even traveled to India to see the field, the hotel..., but ultimately, India couldn't meet the requirements," La Nacion quoted the AFA official as saying.

The official further said that the deal with Kerala fell through because "there were repeated breaches". "What we're going to do is reorganise the contract to find a new date," the AFA official said, adding that they were looking at the possibility of rearranging the proposed friendly in March next year.

Last month, Hector Daniel Cabrera, who was introduced as the venue manager of AFA, visited Kochi to evaluate the facilities at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Kaloor, the proposed venue for the friendly.

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Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman met Cabrera at the stadium and reassured that the match was on schedule. Meanwhile, a private broadcasting company that was entrusted with arranging the game and related events, said Australia has agreed to play the November 17 friendly with Argentina in Kochi.

Meanwhile, the sponsors of the tournament and the Kerala Football Association has not reacted to the new reports of the team schedule being cancelled.