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Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said on Thursday his side must find a system that will allow them to get the best out of Lionel Messi in his first full season in Major League Soccer.
Inter Miami missed out on the MLS playoffs but did win their first ever trophy, the Leagues Cup, following Messi’s arrival in July.
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“We have to try to find ways of playing where the versions, especially in this case of Leo, can be the best, without trying to improve him individually,” Martino told ESPN.
“There came a time when we didn’t surprise much, our moves and [ball] circulation were slower and our rivals anticipated this and neutralised it,” he added.
“Probably the question is about assembling the team, that is, finding an even better version through the rest of the players. We would be talking about something difficult, because a better version is not easy, but I focus more on this: what way we can surround him [Messi], or find him, and try not to give our opponents so many signs of how we are going to play, for example, with Leo.”
Messi joined Inter Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. A hamstring injury limited the Argentina captain to only five MLS appearances, with the club going on to win four matches, lose four and draw four in the league.
Messi, 36, finished with 11 goals in 14 matches in all competitions with Inter Miami last season.
Meanwhile, Martino’s side has strengthened its attack with the signing of Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez.
Inter Miami take on the El Salvador men’s national team on Jan. 19 in their first preseason game.
Messi is, by far, the league’s biggest drawing card. That’s not in dispute, with him now being an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner after picking up yet another of those trophies late last year and still being the leader of reigning World Cup champion Argentina.
“Even as an opposition coach, everyone’s looking in the calendar for the Miami game,” Toronto coach John Herdman said. “I mean, it’s a really exciting time for MLS to have the best player, in my opinion, who ever played the game in this league.
“The league has got some of the best facilities, some of the best fan bases, and now we’ve got the best player ever playing the game, so it’s the place to be.”
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.