Inter Miami manager Tata Martino has addressed the latest controversy surrounding Lionel Messi after last night’s 2-1 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Canadian franchise released a statement earlier in the week confirming that Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets will not be making the trip up to Canada this weekend with Inter Miami, a move not seen in MLS.
With some fans shelling out thousands of dollars for this fixture specifically to see Messi, it’s understandable why the Whitecaps released the statement ahead of time despite how unusual the decision was.
And Martino has now addressed the controversy head-on.
Martino backs decision to rest Messi for Vancouver Whitecaps trip
Speaking to the press, the Inter Miami coach once again backed the decision to rest Messi for this weekend’s fixture away to Vancouver, with the trip one of the longest a club can make in MLS.
With Inter Miami playing Atlanta United midweek followed by another game against St. Louis City SC on Saturday, resting Messi seems like a no-brainer given how much the 36-year-old attacker had played already this season.
Martino said: “It must be stressed that he [Messi] has played a lot of minutes this season, so we had to find a moment to give him a break and to rest him for a match. In this specific case, the trip to Vancouver made the most sense.
“We understand people’s frustrations, especially because of the desire these fans have to see these players. But as coaches, we have to make these decisions that are uncomfortable and that will frustrate people, but ultimately we have to look after our players and the team.”
MLS will be left with egg on their face after latest Messi fiasco
Having experienced something similar already this year in Hong Kong, MLS teams knew that they were not guaranteed to see Messi given the forward’s age and his fitness problems since moving to Inter Miami.
And this latest fiasco will leave MLS with egg on their face, with the entitlement some teams believe they have in regards to Messo coming out to play something that simply would not fly anywhere else in soccer.
Indeed, MLS teams need to understand that sporting competition must remain the number one goal for this league, and if that means Messi being rested, then they are in no position to kick up a fuss and to throw their toys out of the pram.