Inter Miami coach on Messi's farewell: he will miss it until the last day of his life
From Argentina's legacy to the Miami project
Inter Miami manager Kelly Gonzalez admits Argentina will sorely miss Lionel Messi after his international retirement, but he's urging fans to savour every moment of the star's time at the American club.
Speaking on Friday about the farewell match against Benin, Gonzalez told ESPN: "It was incredibly intense. Obviously I was very close to him, but in the end, that moment belonged to him alone, it was his own time."
"All that mattered was that he enjoy it," he added. "I just told him to enjoy it, and to soak up all this love, not only from Argentina, but from the whole world."
The Inter Miami coach went on: "He will be missed in that shirt, of course, but today he is with us here, and we have to enjoy his presence with us now. He too will miss it, from the day of his retirement until the last day of his life. I have no doubt that for him, the national team lay in wearing that shirt; he will always miss the impact he left and the legacy he built there. But unfortunately, we will not see him in that shirt any more, so those who are here must enjoy that. Now he belongs to us, so I have to enjoy him."
Messi leaves an eternal legacy with Argentina through sheer competitive drive, Gonzalez said, forever pushing those around him to get better. "Leo is someone who transmits a certain mentality every day; he demands that his team-mates, and every one of us, give 100% in every aspect."
"He is a natural competitor," he continued. "You see it in every training session, and it is amazing. He is 39 years old, and yet he constantly chases new challenges. This is wonderful for everyone, not only for his team-mates, but for the technical staff and for the club too. He pushes you to be better each and every day."
Rounding off his praise, Gonzalez said: "That is why he is a role model; and as I said before, he will be missed in the national team because he left a legacy there, and he is leaving a legacy here too, as the club has changed from the moment he arrived. He pushes us to improve daily and to prepare in every way. And he is happy, and I see him enjoying his time, and that makes me very happy too."
Messi and Inter Miami face DC United on Saturday evening at Nou Stadium, their first match back from the international break.
Miami sit third in the Eastern Conference with 46 points from 27 matches, enduring a five-match winless run in the American league that includes a draw and a defeat across their last four league outings. They did, though, claim a valuable 2-0 win over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup on 16 September.
