Lionel Messi’s Miami move is not for ‘holiday’: Tata Martino

Soccer

By Miles Schachner

June 29, 2023 | 7:02pm

Lionel Messi’s decision to join Inter Miami is all business, his manager insists.

In his introductory press conference on Thursday, new Inter Miami manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino told the media that his reunion with Messi and Sergio Busquets is about winning — not Miami’s sunny beaches.

“When we spoke with Leo, yesterday I spoke with Sergio, we talked about arriving to have success, to compete and compete well,” Martino said.

“This happens to us even on a personal level, sometimes we associate the United States, Miami, holidays — this isn’t that. We want to compete… they are not footballers who are going to come here to not compete.”

Martino, who was announced Wednesday as Inter Miami’s new head coach, is following Messi and Busquets to Miami, both of whom revealed their decisions to join the MLS club earlier this month.

The accomplished manager — who was the MLS coach of the year in 2018 — has coached both players before, as he coached Messi and Busquets during his stint with Barcelona from 2013 to 2014 and Messi on the Argentine national team from 2014-16.

But Martino said his decision to join the club premeditated Messi and Busquets hopping aboard.

“I started the talks before [the additions of Messi and Busquets],” Martino said. “I always found this opportunity attractive…let’s just say that the presents arrived next.”

The trio of Messi, Martino and Busquets will have quite a hill to climb to bring Inter Miami toward contention.

The MLS club currently sits at last place in the MLS Standings and is on a seven-game losing streak.

Martino believes the signing will bring massive growth to the American soccer league.

“That the best player in the world decides to play in this league, obviously it will open up an even better panorama for that growth. I believe that the United States is not a country that misses out on this type of opportunity.”