Lionel Messi overwhelmed by Inter Miami
Washington (IANS). Lionel Messi has heaped praise on his Inter Miami teammates and head coach Gerardo Martino as the team prepares for Saturday’s League Cup final against Nashville SC.
Since joining the Florida team on a free transfer last month, Messi has scored nine goals in six appearances in the League Cup – an annual competition involving teams from the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“We’ve always considered ourselves capable of competing and getting this title,” the 36-year-old said at a press conference at Inter Miami’s Fort Lauderdale headquarters on Thursday.
Despite finishing last in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, Inter Miami have won all six of their matches since Messi’s arrival with Martino in mid-July, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Argentine World Cup winner also cited the support of Inter Miami’s fans as a major reason for the team’s overhaul.
“The team has evolved a lot since he [Martino’s] arrival,” Messi said. “I came to the club with great enthusiasm and with the desire to continue to get results, as in my whole career.”
“Although playing in the final is a big surprise, we are preparing ourselves for it. The team has evolved a lot.”
Messi compared his Inter Miami move to the one that took him to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after 17 years at Barcelona.
He said, “It was easier than we (my family) thought. We had the experience of changing cities from Barcelona to Paris and it was complicated. It was totally different.”
He continued, “Today I can say that I am very happy with the decision we have made, not only from the point of view of football but also from the point of view of my family; the way we live day-to-day, the city and the way The way people have treated us, it (support) has been extraordinary not only in Miami but in the United States in general.”
