MLS
Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino on Lionel Messi’s fitness and Olympics plans
The Inter Miami head coach admitted that he will need to minimise his captain’s exertion this year as the Herons prepare to fight on multiple fronts.
Lionel Messi’s first full season with Inter Miami could well be the Herons’ best chance of picking up major silverware. Miami will get the final years of his incredible talents and are understandably looking to get the most out of Messi, but they aren’t the only ones.
The Miami No. 10 will captain his country in the Copa América this summer, a chance for him to add to his international trophy haul. He could even participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in France after Javier Mascherano said that he would like Messi in his squad.
Inter Miami take on Florida rivals Orlando City this weekend in their third fixture of the MLS season. Lionel Messi has featured in every minute of their games so far this campaign and will be crucial if the Herons are to make it to the post-season and progress deep in the cup competitions. With that in mind, Tata Martino has a plan to ease the burden on Messi’s shoulders and reduce the miles in his legs.
“The Orlando game in last year’s Leagues Cup was a game where he found the ball many times in the final quarter of the field, before finishing the play. He even scored a goal in the six-yard box. That is what we have to get back to, the team finding him to finish the plays,” Martino explained.
“I feel that in the two 2024 games he has had too much wear and tear. It is my responsibility to make the team work in such a way that we can use him differently,” he said.
Will Lionel Messi play in the Olympics?
The problem with being one of the finest players of all time, is that you’re always in demand. Since breaking through into the Barcelona first team two decades ago Lionel Messi has had precious few breaks from the grinding cycle of professional soccer.
This year is set to be no different with the opportunity to represent Argentina in the Copa América and the Olympic Games in the middle of a busy season with Inter Miami. Messi will certainly be leading his nation into the Copa América, this year held in the United States, but will he travel to France for the Olympics too?
Messi has not yet decided but the national team would certainly love to have him. For now, Miami head coach Tata Martino is refusing to be drawn on the subject.
“I don’t want to venture into something that is still so far away,” Martino explained. “Of course I have been talking about some issues with [Messi]. What worries me most is the day-to-day life and how he is recovering game by game. I feel that in these first two games we have been forced to rely on him too much way and that it has caused very significant wear and tear in both games.”
Messi’s fitness was a major concern for the Martino as the team began their 2024 preparations. The 36-year-old was forced to sit out parts of Miami’s elongated preseason tour, suffering a reoccurrence of a muscular injury that kept him out of a key period in their 2023 campaign. If Inter Miami are to achieve their goals and challenge for more silverware this year, Lionel Messi’s fitness will be a key component.