Xavier Asensi is a former CEO (GDĐ) at Barcelona with 11 years of experience, until 2021 he moved to Inter Miami. In an interview with MARCA, the GDĐ of Inter Miami shared interesting things about Messi.
After Messi joined Inter Miami, some people thought that the Argentine superstar's move to Inter Miami was a commercial deal. However, Mr. Asenssi did not think so. The truth was proven when Messi helped Inter Miami win the 2023 Leagues Cup, bringing the Florida team to the US Open Cup final.
"Messi's presence is first and foremost to win on the pitch. Obviously, Leo (Messi) is the one who earns the most money selling shirts among the players in the world . Modric, Ramos, Griezmann or Busquets give you a little jump in value, but Leo is another aspect on a commercial level. You can imagine, in 2024, we will receive a valuable income with Leo that is four times the previous value. That is not only for Miami but for the whole MLS (Major League Soccer) to benefit."
Xavier Asensi (middle) next to Beckham and Messi (Photo: Marca)
Inter Miami CEO added about the benefits of Messi joining Inter Miami: "When I came to Miami, I saw Jorge Mas's (co-owner) idea of becoming a model for football in North America. Football can be a business but above all it depends on the players. For this reason, a business will be better with the appearance of Messi, one of the great players of our time" - Asenssi said about the idea of bringing Messi to MLS.
"Messi leaving Barça opened the door for this idea," said the former Barca CEO. "If Barcelona hadn't forced Messi to leave, he would have stayed there for sure." Before Messi was set to leave PSG, the Inter Miami CEO said he had nothing to do until June 2023.
Inter Miami's CEO also revealed that Messi's contract has mandatory participation from MLS. "In the US, the players' contracts are with MLS, not with the team. This is done to avoid bankruptcy. It is a similar guarantee model to closed leagues like the NFL or NBA."
Messi's move to Inter Miami brought a breath of fresh air to the team and brought good results and the first championship when the Florida team was founded in 2018 (Photo: Reuters)
Mr. Asensi also said that Freedom Park will be the team's new stadium and will be built near the airport. Construction plans will begin in October 2023. The new stadium will have a capacity of 30,000 seats (DRV PNK has 21,000) combined with an entertainment area and a giant park.
However, Inter Miami's CEO said that watching Messi play in a small stadium with 21,000 people is a luxury. "It's romantic, it's a luxury to see Leo play in a stadium with only 21,000 spectators. It gives you a magic that a stadium with 50,000 people doesn't bring."
Inter Miami will once again meet the defeated Nashville (Photo: Reuters)
With the appearance of Messi since the first match, ticket prices for Inter Miami matches have skyrocketed rapidly with an average increase of at least 1,000%.
Messi isn't just helping Inter Miami and other MLS teams increase their ticket sales. According to statistics, the MLS Season Pass on AppleTV has attracted more than 300,000 new subscribers and earned more than $29.7 million since M10 arrived in American soccer.
In addition to increasing Apple's revenue, Messi himself will also receive a portion of this revenue under his contract to join Inter Miami.
Tomorrow (August 31) at 6:30 (Vietnam time), Inter Miami will meet Nashville again at home after the Leagues Cup final. Coach Tata Martino also announced to fans and assured that Messi will be on the field from the start, bringing excitement to American football lovers.
Source
Comment (0)