Lionel Messi’s debut with Inter Miami – which should take place on July 21 in a League Cup match – will be followed around the world. And according to Jorge Mas, co-owner of the Florida club, the American franchise has been working for a long time to live this moment.
“The negotiations lasted three years, revealed Jorge Mas in an interview published on Sunday by the Spanish media El Pais. Including a year and a half of intense negotiations. Lots of conversations with Jorge (Messi, Lionel’s father, and representative of the Argentinian). I considered it done at the end of May. David (Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami) spoke to Leo, but only on football matters, because he was still playing at PSG. He didn’t want him to feel any pressure. »
“50 to 60 million” annual salary
The American businessman has revealed the salary that will be received by the sevenfold Ballon d’Or: “between 50 and 60 million” dollars per year (between 45 and 55 million euros). But “La Pulga” will benefit from other financial advantages, such as a percentage on the resale of the club’s jerseys, as well as profits on the TV rights of the American Championship, held by Apple. Mas also argues that “when (Messi) retires, he will have shares in the club”.
The club’s co-owner compared the arrival of Lionel Messi, who should take part in the development of MLS in different aspects, to those of Pelé and Beckham in their time: “In the history of sport, there are two events here: the arrival of Pelé at the New York Cosmos (in 1975) and that of David Beckham in 2007 in Los Angeles. Messi will take the League to another level. I think he comes wanting to leave his mark, and he will be able to do that beyond football”. Mas has lured one of the greatest players in history to the United States, and hopes it will serve as a springboard for his League: “Messi can make MLS one of the two or three biggest Leagues in the world” .
A team focused around Messi
The arrival of Sergio Busquets at the club demonstrates the desire to surround Messi with players he knows well, and who should complement him. In addition to the 34-year-old midfielder, Jorge Mas mentioned several targets of Florida leaders. Tracks necessarily imagined to offer the recent world champion a familiar setting.
“For us, it was essential to surround Messi with players of his level. We have been speaking with Busi (Sergio Busquets) for more or less a year. […] Jordan Alba? We spoke to him. Luis Suarez is under contract (with Gremio), he has a clause and I don’t know if a departure is possible. We also spoke with (Angel) Di Maria, but it seems to me that he is close to signing with another team. »
The Spaniard Jordi Alba, who ended his Barcelona adventure at 34, could be tempted by an experience across the Atlantic. The cases of Luis Suarez and Angel Di Maria seem more complex: the Uruguayan striker is considering retirement due to numerous physical glitches while “El Fideo” would be more inclined to find the first jersey he wore in Europe, that of Benfica.
2023-07-03 07:37:35
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