Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami teammates are trying to help him focus on soccer despite his limited English.
“An Inter Miami player has revealed the kind of care Messi receives,” Spanish media outlet Marca reported on Wednesday.
Messi rejected offers from Barcelona and Saudi Arabia in last summer’s transfer window in favor of a career in the United States. Since joining Miami in the Major League Soccer (MLS), he has certainly shown his quality, scoring an offensive point in each of his first nine games for the club.
Messi helped Miami win the League Cup, the club’s first trophy in its history, and while he hasn’t been able to play a full game in recent years due to injury issues and declining fitness, he has been a consistent contributor to the team.
“One fan experienced a rite of initiation into a global religion with Miami’s victory tonight. There was already a sense of solemnity in the stadium, and Miami’s away fans represented them well despite their lowly position in the MLS. “It was a Messi phenomenon,” he said, marveling at his influence.
The way Messi is treated within the Miami organization, and the way he gives back to his teammates, has created a lot of buzz.
“His impact on the pitch since arriving in Miami has been incredible,”스포츠토토said Marca. They signed the world champion and have won trophies since, even if they haven’t made the MLS playoffs. But Messi’s influence in the locker room is just as important as on the field. In a recent interview, 19-year-old player Edison Ascona revealed what it’s like to be Messi’s teammate, according to Miami player Ascona.
According to the report, Ascona said of Messi, “Everyone gets along with him. He’s a very nice guy, very humble. Sometimes when we go on away trips, there are people waiting for him at 5am. On his first away trip with the team, he even sang at dinner. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets also sang, and Messi was the last one to sing.”
He also spoke about Messi’s training in Miami and his treatment within the squad. “He knows that we all want to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. Even when we’re defending, we’re careful. We don’t let him play in some of our games. Nobody goes in rough,” he said, explaining that the team is also careful in training because they are concerned about Messi’s injury.
“I hardly ever hear him speak English. Sometimes he’ll come in and say ‘good morning’. The players who speak English but don’t speak Spanish are learning Spanish,” he said, adding that the other players are actually learning Spanish to communicate with Messi.
Messi has reciprocated the gesture. “He talks to me and gives me soccer advice,” Ascona said of Messi’s attitude toward his teammates. When I go to receive the ball, he gives me options to control it and gives me better options.”
According to reports, Messi also gave the entire squad a pair of headphones emblazoned with the club’s markings after his debut win. “I have them too,” Ascona said of the gift. There were gifts in every seat in the locker room before the game,” Ascona recalled of Messi’s gift.
As soccer enthusiasm in the United States heats up with Messi’s arrival in the MLS, the news of his bond with his teammates is only likely to increase fan affection for him.