“Enjoy it”: Tata Martino backed Messi, urged no selfishness over No 10 | OneFootball

Gerardo “Tata” Martino moved the football world when he reflected on the affectionate hug he shared with Lionel Messi before InterMiami’s match against Atlanta United. In that regard, the coach from Santa Fe opened up about the reasons behind the gesture and admitted: “A lot has happened to him in the last two months, in sports and, for me more importantly, in his family life. I felt like giving him that hug because of all those things.” He also downplayed the drama surrounding the star’s decision to leave the ArgentinaNational Team, with Martino saying that “no one could really have been surprised that this happened” since “it was foreseeable that, at some point and in the near future, it would happen.”

In that sense, the coach also offered some self-criticism about the attitude of the public and the fans, pointing out that “in some way, we’re selfish and we want to keep demanding that Leo wear the shirt.” Finally, he concluded with a message of gratitude and full support for the captain’s future: “Beyond the fact that he still has a road ahead of him here at Inter, I think the time has come to enjoy things. He has a wonderful family, and it seems only fair to me that, beyond the sadness of no longer seeing him in the Argentina shirt, we can say to him: ‘Come on, go enjoy it, because you’ve earned it.’”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.