Lionel Messi’s Move To MLS Is Not For Holiday, Inter Miami Coach Says ‘We Want To Compete’

Inter Miami coach opened up on Lionel Messi’s move to Major League Soccer (MLS) and said that he is not coming here to spend a holiday, but both Messi and the club want to compete in the tournament. The Argentine legend has recently completed his transfer to Inter Miami after leaving PSG.

“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,” Inter Miami’s new head coach said.

Martino has already coached LM10 and the Spanish international when he was with FC Barcelona during the 2013-2014 season and it won’t be a problem for him to interact with the newcomers. He also revealed he started talking with Inter Miami before Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets’ transfers were confirmed. “I always found this opportunity attractive, let’s just say that the presents arrived next,” he added.

The 60-year-old coach said that when the best football player is coming to play in this league, it will obviously help the MLS to grow. “I believe that MLS has a constant evolution, and the examples are the great soccer players from the United States who are playing in Europe and very good teams in Europe. (And) 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,” Martino further added.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner is likely to make his debut for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup match on Saturday (July 22).