A cleaner at Inter Miami's stadium has been fired after going against the club's rules as he was caught asking icon Lionel Messi for an autograph.
Colombian national Cristian Salamanca arrived for his shift at DRV PNK Stadium as the MLS franchise prepared to take on rivals Orlando City in the Leagues Cup. It was his first shift for a company that is contracted to clean the Herons' ground and also proved to be his last.
He had been tasked with cleaning an area near where the two teams were set to arrive ahead of kick-off at the Fort Lauderdale arena and had already sensed an opportunity to meet his idol, already wearing an Argentina shirt underneath his uniform.
Stars including Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba soon exited the coach but Messi was the last to depart as the team made their way into the stadium. As the World Cup winner emerged, Salamanca was able to grab his attention by calling out to him, while unveiling his hidden jersey.
Recalling the tale, the South American explained that his antics did not escape the attention of the security staff at Vice City's temporary home, however. Telling his story to Argentine newspaper La Nacion, he explained: "I had to clean the bathrooms in the sector where the buses park.
"Fortunately, I was out there when the bus arrived and all the players got out. The last one was Messi. (I) yelled at him: 'Hey, world champion!" He turned to look. I lifted up my uniform shirt and I had down the shirt of the Argentine team and a marker."
Salamanca's luck quickly ran out but it appears that he has no regrets after he paid the price for his brush with sporting royalty. He added: "He gave me his autograph. Security came right away, they took me out and fired me from my job, but it was worth every second!"
Image:
Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)It turns out that the Floridan franchise's policy for employees is that they must not hassle the team's stars for autographs or photographs while working. Clearly, with this brazen member of staff having fallen foul of this rule, they were left with seldom option but to part ways with him.
To add insult to injury for Salamanca, he then had to ask his wife to collect his belongings for him following his ignominious firing from his job. Thankfully, she was also working at DRV PNK Stadium and so she was able to retrieve his valuables from the ground.
Inside the stadium, Messi and his new teammates continued their upturn in fortunes with a third victory in as many games, with the Argentine forward bagging a brace to down their local rivals. The 3-1 win over Orlando City took the Herons into the Round of 16, where they will play FC Dallas.
