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Atlanta United coach says Lionel Messi wouldn't have made a difference for Inter Miami

Gonzalo Pineda made a very controversial comment about the absence of Lionel Messi in the game between Inter Miami and Atlanta United.

Lionel Messi of Inter Miami
© Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesLionel Messi of Inter Miami

Atlanta United got a 5-2 victory over Inter Miami. It was the first loss in the Lionel Messi era. Though the Argentine player didn’t make the trip to Georgia, it was a tremendous performance by Gonzalo Pineda’s squad.

It’s important to remember that Inter Miami were on a hot streak after winning the 2023 Leagues Cup and clinching a ticket to the U.S. Open Cup final. A few days ago, without Messi, they got a huge 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City.

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Even in this scenario, Atlanta United proved they could be a threat in the Eastern Conference and for the entire MLS. At the end of the match, Pineda had a very interesting take about Messi’s absence.

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Gonzalo Pineda admits Lionel Messi’s absence didn’t work as extra motivation

After the victory against Inter Miami, Gonzalo Pineda was asked if he used Lionel Messi’s absence as a motivation for his players. The Mexican coach took it a bit further with a surprising answer.

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“No (extra motivation). I mean, you never know what could have happened if Messi was on the field. Of course, they would have been probably better, but I think that the mentality of the team was such that I think we could have still gotten a good result with Messi. I feel that way. I was very confident”

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Furthermore, Pineda joked about how he got the news of Messi not traveling to Atlanta. He watched Lionel’s Instagram post dining in Miami. “The pizza, the tomatoes and all that.”

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