Inter Miami manager Tata Martino has warned the other teams in the MLS about Lionel Messi’s presence and defended the superstar after he was on the receiving end of a number of harsh tackles.
Messi helped Miami to another victory as they beat Orlando City in the Leagues Cup, but he received a number of heavy tackles from the opposition side, and was even yellow-carded after making a charged-up foul following one of the brutal challenges.
Martino has now warned that Messi will not take this treatment lightly, and defended his surprisingly aggressive behaviour, as the veteran was refusing to take the tackles without retaliation of his own.
“The match the other day [vs. Orlando] was completely different from the previous ones, that is true. There was more friction,” he stated.
“I attribute it to the fact that there were many South Americans on the pitch, and obviously there is a respect for the best player in the world, but the reality is that over the 90 minutes, each team wants to win.
“And so it was deserving of him to play on the field the way that he did, and it served up notice to say, ‘Our team is here, watch out’.”
Messi is used to harsh tackles
Heavy-handed treatment from opposition players is not a new concept for Messi, and for years he has had to deal with fiery tackles and challenges from players attempting to stop him in his tracks.
El Clasico fixtures in particular, saw the likes of Pepe and Sergio Ramos brutally harassing him, but Messi would often deal with it well through his ability on the pitch.
The World Cup in Qatar saw a different side of Messi when Argentina faced the Netherlands, and Messi was one of the loudest voices on the pitch as players and staff from both sides constantly clashed throughout the game.
The treatment he received at Orlando may be a sign of things to come in the MLS, but it is unlikely to prevent him from scoring, as it is something he has gotten used to over his career.