Mexican referee Marco Ortiz has been suspended from officiating in Concacaf competitions for six months after asking Lionel Messi for his autograph at the end of 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 approached Messi and seemed to ask for his jersey as a memento of the match. Although it was later clarified that Ortiz 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. Ortiz will continue to referee in Mexico's Liga MX while he serves the six months suspension, but will not be eligible for any World Cup Qualifiers, the Club World Cup or the Gold Cup. The same source told ESPN that should Ortiz reoffend, he will be suspended indefinitely.
Source: ESPN
