Lionel Messi is enjoying a perfect start to life in the United States. The Argentine superstar has scored in all his appearances for Inter Miami so far, boasting seven goals in just four games in the 2023 Leagues Cup.
The 36-year-old has played a pivotal role in the Herons’ road to the quarterfinals, where they’ll take on the winner of Charlotte FC vs. Houston Dynamo. Needless to say, Leo is the man of the hour in South Florida.
While his impressive performances are not surprising at all, not everyone thought this would be a good match. In fact, Inter Miami have just released a player who thought the club wasn’t prepared to have a player of Messi’s caliber.
Inter Miami cut GK Nick Marsman a few months after his comments on Messi’s possible arrival
Inter Miami bought out veteran goalkeeper Nick Marsman, who joined the club in July 2021 after a long career in the Netherlands, where he played for the likes of Feyenoord and Utretch, among others. Back in June, he said the team wasn’t ready to have Messi on board.
“I personally think that this club is not ready for Messi’s arrival. We have a temporary stadium, people can just walk on the pitch, there are no gates. We also leave for the stadium without security. I think they aren’t ready,” Marsman told ESPN.
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The 32-year-old made 29 appearances during his time in Fort Lauderdale, keeping eight clean sheets. However, he fell down in the pecking order as Drake Callender now is Inter Miami’s starting keeper.
