Julian Gressel Confesses Wish For ‘Mate’ Date with Lionel Messi, Weeks After Joining Luis Suarez & Co. at Inter Miami

It has been a busy transfer season for Inter Miami. The club confirmed their landmark signing of Luis Suarez shortly before the January window commenced. Then, Nicolas Freire and Julian Gressel followed Suarez’s suit. Unlike Freire, who moved on loan, Gressel joined Herons as a free agent on a three-year deal. And he seems excited to build a fine chemistry with his teammates, considering his lengthy stay. He is already flabbergasted by Lionel Messi and his teammates’ warm welcome and jokes. Now, he badly wants to share a drink with the captain.

Julian Gressel debuted for Inter Miami in the pre-season friendly against El Salvador. Anyhow, Gressel is yet to win a match with the Herons, as they struggle a bit in the pre-season tours. However, that did not stop Gressel and his teammates from having fun outside the pitch.

Julian Gressel badly wants to share Lionel Messi’s favorite drink with him

In a recent press conference, Julian Gressel was asked if he has drank a cup of Mate with Lionel Messi already. “I’ve tried Mate before but not with him. Maybe one day this season we will get to share Mate,” said Gressel in response. Mate is a hot tea made of yerba mate leaves. It induces more energy than caffeine. Besides, Mate remains La Pulga’s favorite drink. A picture of Messi drinking Mate while holding his World Cup trophy was a super hit. Moreover, the Herons’ owner, David Beckham, once flaunted a cup of Mate, thanks to Leo Messi’s influence.

As welcoming as the drink, Gressel stated the hospitality he received from his new teammates. “Those guys are very open and very welcoming, a lot of jokes, and [they are] very good guys that really want to do well. We’ve spoken a little bit not just to [Messi] but also to the others, to Luis [Suarez] or Busquets, and Jordi [Alba] a lot,” Gressel added. He also mentioned that his equation with teammates isn’t confined to having fun alone, but also to getting used to a new team, ahead of a “big year.”

Gressel is indeed looking at a ‘big year’ with Inter Miami

Thanks to his experience with other MLS powerhouses, Julian Gressel has become quintessential to the Inter Miami roster. He has started in all three pre-season matches for the Herons. Once the pre-season outings are over, the Herons will embark on the CONCACAF Champions Cup outings due in February. He has found a place in the squad alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Though he has famously played as a fullback, Gressel is serving Miami in their midfield.

READ MORE: OFFICIAL: Lionel Messi Leads Inter Miami’s Roster for 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup

After the CONCACAF tournament, Gressel and Suarez will kick-start their debut MLS season. An enormous responsibility hovers around aiding Messi to overcome last year’s humiliating exit in the playoffs. Besides the MLS, Inter Miami competes for the silverware in the Leagues Cup and the US Open, among other competitions. Therefore, it was an understatement from the 30-year-old to call this a ‘big year,’ as it is rather a year crammed with back-to-back matches. Let’s hope Gressel overcomes each challenge and comfortably shares Mate with Leo Messi.

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