MLS
“With Messi on board we hope to generate a turnover of $200 million”
Xavier Asensi, general director of Inter Miami spoke to EFE about the substantial growth of the MLS club since Leo Messi’s arrival last summer.
Inter Miami are living the dream. In less than a year, the ‘Herons’ have become a new powerhouse in the United States sports’ landscape with this all being down to ‘Messimanía’. The Argentine moved to Miami less than a year ago and remains one of the biggest names in global sport as brands fight to secure his product endorsements. Xavier Asensi, general director of the club, revealed to the growth of the club’s accounts since the arrival of the Argentine star adding that this year the club expect to generate a 200 million dollar turnover.
“With the arrival of Messi, we have gone from having a budget of just over 60 million to ending up billing around 125 or 130. This year I hope we will have a turnover of around $200 million or more which are outrages numbers when you remember that we are still operating out of a temporary stadium,” commented the leader of the ‘Herons’. With Messi at Inter Miami, the MLS outfit have managed to close substantial deals with international brands, such as Apple, Adidas, Heineken and Royal Caribbean.
VISA has been the latest company that have come onboard with the deal bringing in further substantial income. “We are looking for those ‘partners’ that will take us to another level and there are also obviously ‘Royal Caribbean’ and ‘JPMorgan Chase,’” Asensi confirmed. Since Messi’s arrival in Fort Lauderdale, the team has gone from being the ugly duckling of the MLS to becoming an example of what can be done with added star power. ‘Messimanía’ is still prevalent with the Argentine generating unprecedented levels of expectation and excitement in MLS and this translates into increased ticket sales, merchandising and countless other ancillary related businesses.
Més que FC Barcelona
Inter Miami has become an international phenomenon, surpassing in revenue what many European clubs manage to generate. Asensi (a former FC Barcelona employee) also stated that not even when Messi was at the Camp Nou was he able to drive so much incole in a single season.
“I was at Barça for eleven years, I was the Chief Commercial Officer there, also during Leo’s time as a player. What Inter Miami can earn on a preseason tour is higher than what a professional soccer club has ever earned. There are several factors here, such as the big European clubs can do their tours at the same time, which is in the summer. We can do them at a time of the year when no one at that level can do them, which is in January or February. Leo is the key factor here obviously. If Messi were not there, what we are talking about would not exist,” he concluded.