"I find him with the same desire as always" - Inter Miami boss Tata Martino details the differences he has seen in Lionel Messi
Inter Miami manager Tata Martino gave his verdict on the differences he has seen with Lionel Messi. He highlighted the changes in the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner following Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup win compared to the past.
Tata Martino managed Lionel Messi in the past during his time at Barcelona (2013–14) and the Argentina national team (2014–2016).
After weeks of rumors, the Argentine icon was officially announced as an Inter Miami player for next season on July 15, before being unveiled the next day to fans alongside Sergio Busquets.
Lionel Messi has already begun training and getting accustomed to his new surroundings in the United States alongside his teammates.
Tata Martino also disclosed how the 36-year-old has changed since finding success with the national team:
"They are nice stages, they are all different. I find him with the same desire as always but in another stage and much more relieved with everything that has happened with the Argentine National Team in recent years. It was a very heavy weight that he had on him and to take it off as soon as possible. has transformed on a day-to-day basis."
While Messi was already regarded as one of the best footballers ever, he struggled to win any major trophies for Argentina, losing four finals in a row.
He buried the hatchet in 2021, when he helped his nation win the Copa America. Since then, he has won two more major honors, including the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Tata Martino gives update on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami debut
In the aforementioned interview, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino recently gave his verdict on when Lionel Messi could potentially make his debut for the MLS club.
The Barcelona legend recently posted on his Instagram page that he would be making his debut on July 21 against Cruz Azul in the League Cup. The game is scheduled to take place at Inter Miami Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. However, Martino has not officially given the green light for this to happen yet.
Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets have only just recently begun training, and the Argentine head coach has no intentions of risking any of them:
"I'm not ruling out Leo's debut, but I have to see him one more training session, also see how he feels , both he and Busquets. They both arrived very well, we can expect to see them on Friday but I don't want to rush into saying something that I can't comply."
If Messi doesn't make his debut tomorrow, it could be on July 25 against Atlanta United.