The ‘Ridiculous’ Thing Lionel Messi and Other Ex-Barcelona Stars Do at Inter Miami, Unveiled by Fellow Teammate

When Inter Miami signed Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates, trophies were not the only expectation. The quartet was expected to change the culture at the club and the city. With soccer enjoying unprecedented popularity in Miami, the signings have been transformative in one aspect. But, how does training with some of the greatest players to kick a ball influence their teammates? Defender Franco Negri reveals his main takeaway from watching Messi and co in training sessions.

Speaking to the Miami Herald, Negri lavished praise on the qualities of Lionel Messi, Suarez, and Busquets. He said, “I am trying to learn from all of them, from Busi, Suarez, Leo, mainly how calm they are on the ball and trying to see the field the way they do.”

“The passes they make are ridiculous, it motivates you to have them as teammates and my main takeaway has been their calmness on the field,” added the Argentine defender. Negri’s statement is not surprising since the trio were architects of Barcelona’s tiki-taka passing system.

Moreover, Negri had special words of praise for fellow defender Jordi Alba. The Argentine star noted Alba’s ‘calm demeanor’ as his major takeaway from the Spaniard’s game. Speaking of Alba, the full-back is currently out with a muscle injury suffered against Sporting KC. Losing a player like the Spaniard was expected to be a big blow for Lionel Messi and Co. Yet, surprisingly, the Herons’ form without the defender has been spectacular, since Inter Miami has won all while scoring 13 goals! Tata Martino has two stars to credit for his team’s immense form.

Record-breaking Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez power Inter Miami’s title charge

When things go tough, experienced players are expected to take charge. Fortunately for Inter Miami, this is exactly what Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi have done. The Heron’s Champions Cup exit and Alba’s subsequent injury could have easily killed the team’s mood. However, their star attackers ensured that there would be no slip-ups. Against Nashville and New England Revolution Messi scored a brace. In the following match against the NY Red Bulls, Suarez scored a hat trick!

The Red Bulls game also saw Lionel Messi break a flurry of records. The most prominent of them being a record 6 goal contributions in a match! Messi’s passing, described as ‘ridiculous’ by Negri was on full show as he made a stunning 5 assists in the game. This resulted in the playmaker being named the MLS Player of the Month for April. Luis Suarez won this award in March and February. With the veterans in such fine form, can they continue to inspire Inter Miami to a historic first MLS title? Let us know below.