Lionel Messi's Inter Miami Move Gets Key Update; Exec Hints at July Completion
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami debut is now officially happening as the soccer club's chief soccer officer and sporting director, Chris Henderson, confirmed that "terms are agreed" between the management and the Argentinian superstar.
"With regard to Leo, terms are agreed, but we are working on the paperwork with Major League Soccer," Henderson said on Thursday.
However, Messi's debut might take longer than expected, with Henderson adding, "Those are going to take time to finish, but we hope that there's a time in mid-, late-July that he's ready to go. That's just going to be up to how he finishes all the paperwork."
According to CNN, Messi is considered one of the sport's greatest players, winning the World Cup with Argentina last year, as well as various European and South American trophies. He is expected to make his Inter Miami debut on July 21.
It is noted that Messi's arrival can already be felt even before he arrived in Inter Miami, as ticket prices for the team's games soared by over 1,000% in the minutes after his transfer was first announced.
Inter Miami Sign Former FC Barcelona, Argentina National Team Coach Tata Martino
Messi is not coming to Inter Miami alone. He is also bringing his former coach, Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, as the club's new manager. He previously coached Messi in FC Barcelona, as well as the Argentinian national team. His Inter Miami move was reported even before an official announcement could be made.
According to The Guardian, the former FC Barcelona manager will reunite with Messi next month. He has some MLS experience, too, leading Atlanta United to an MLS championship in 2018. He also won the league's coach of the year that season.
READ MORE: Lionel Messi Net Worth
"We are very happy to be able to welcome Tata to Inter Miami," said the team's managing owner Jorge Mas. "We feel he is a coach who matches our ambitions as a club and we're optimistic about what we can accomplish together. Tata has coached at the highest levels and we believe that experience will be hugely beneficial to us as we aim to compete for titles here."
The former Argentina coach will be replacing Phil Neville, who was fired by the club four weeks ago after a dismal start to the season. Martino and Messi have their work cut out for them when they arrive in South Beach, as Inter Miami is currently one of the worst teams in Major League Soccer.
Lionel Messi Receives Final European Award Before Inter Miami Transfer
As of writing, Lionel Messi is still technically a Paris Saint-Germaine player, as his contract is set to expire on June 30. Before that happened though, Ligue-1 presented the Argentinian with his final award.
Paris Saint-Germaine won the Ligue-1 title this year with its three-headed assault of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar. The French league then announced Messi was voted as the league's best foreign player for 2022/23 by voters. This came after Messi was booed in his final game by PSG fans in Paris.
According to AS, Messi had 32 goal contributions in the season, scoring 16 of them himself and 16 being assists. Without Messi, PSG could not have won the title.
READ MORE: Lionel Messi Height
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Lionel Messi's history with Tata Martino | SportsCenter - ESPN FC
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!