Gressel was impressed with the Argentina captain’s English skills in preseason, as he revealed on his new ‘Player/Manager’ podcast.
Roddy ConsRoddyConsUpdate: Mar 12th, 2024 02:34 EDT0
DONALD PAGEAFP
For much of his career, we barely heard Inter Miami star Lionel Messi speaking to the media. That has changed somewhat as the former Barcelona star has got older and taken on a leadership role, particularly with Argentina. Following his move to Florida, the attacker has conducted several interviews in Spanish and been the feature of an Apple TV+ ‘documentary event,’ and it has now come to light, via Herons defender Julian Gressel, that he has been handing out tactical instructions in English on the field.
Inter Miami’s Gressel launches podcast “about what it’s really like to play with Messi”
Gressel, who joined Inter Miami who Columbus Crew in January, has recently founded his own Player/Manager podcast, in which he appears with Football Manager creator Zealand Shannon. “Player / Manager is podcast about what it’s really like to play with Messi & co. at Inter Miami, MLS and soccer in North America and beyond,” reads the podcast’s bio.
“Now we change. You stay. And Jordi [Alba] runs.” Then after, he goes: ‘English, pretty good no?”This story from USMNT and Inter Miami RB Julian Gressel on the first time Lionel Messi spoke English to him is amazing 😂(via Player / Manager Podcaster with Julian Gressel) pic.twitter.com/cXzdsYqqR6
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) March 12, 2024
On the second episode, a seemingly star-struck Gressel discussed his initial interactions – or lack thereof – with the Argentina captain during Las Garzas’ preseason tour, which took them to El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan, and revealed he had ultimately been left impressed with his new captain’s communication skills in English, which few have ever heard him speaking (AI not included).
Messi and Gressel’s “funny moment” in English during preseason
“There was a funny moment that we had during this world tour. On the field, where he didn’t really ever speak to me much and, if he did, it was a little bit in Spanish always, which I understand most of it in Spanish. He came over to me and said something in English. That was the first time he’d spoken to me in English.
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USMNT defender Julian Gressel joined Inter Miami from Columbus Crew in January. MEGAN BRIGGSAFP
