🚨🎙️ Tata Martino on Atlanta United’s 3-1 defeat to Inter Miami.
Reporter: You’ve just lost 3-1 to Inter Miami. What do you think went wrong today?
Tata Martino: “Lost to Inter Miami? No, today I lost to Lionel Messi. And honestly, I’m still trying to understand what just happened.
“We prepared so well for this game. We studied their movements, worked on our defensive structure, and had a clear plan for how to stop them. We knew Miami had quality, but you never truly understand what you’re dealing with until you’re standing on the touchline watching that man play.
“Suddenly, the difference between winning and losing is a 39-year-old footballer who makes everything you prepared look useless. Tell me, how are you supposed to explain that to your players?
“What I saw today wasn’t normal. At 39, he was running past three or four defenders, creating chances, and scoring a solo goal that would make a 25-year-old proud. And then people want to talk about his legs, saying he can no longer do what he used to do? (laughs)
“If that is what weak legs look like, then I don’t know what we’re supposed to call the rest of us. This man is still deciding games at an age when most players have already walked away from football.
“After the final whistle, my assistant looked at me and asked what had gone wrong with our plan. He wanted to know why everything we worked on wasn’t producing the result we expected.
“I looked at him and said, ‘Nothing is wrong with the plan. Sometimes, you can prepare perfectly, make the right decisions, and still lose because you’re facing someone who can do things no tactical plan can completely prevent.’
“That is what happened today. We didn’t forget how to defend. We didn’t suddenly become a bad team. We simply came up against Lionel Messi, a player who can turn an ordinary moment into something extraordinary.
“And after watching him do this at 39, I honestly have nothing left to argue about. Some players make history, others spend their careers chasing it.
“Messi? He’s still out there reminding us why he’s the greatest of all time.”
🚨🎙️ Casemiro on his funny conversation with Messi after his brace against Atalanta United
Reporter🎙️: We saw you having a conversation with Messi immediately after his second goal. What did he tell you?
Casemiro🗣️: (laughs) Honestly, I was still trying to understand his first goal, and a few minutes later, he scored again and had everyone questioning whether this man is really 39 years old, as he claims. I had to run as fast as I could just to celebrate with him!
He looked at me and said, “Hey, Case, you’ve been rock solid lately. The way you’re helping organize our defense has been incredible.” Then he thanked me, and honestly, that meant a lot. Coming from Leo, those words carry a different kind of weight.
Reporter🎙️: And what did you say to him?
Casemiro: (laughs) I told him, “Don’t worry, Leo. I’ll go to hell defending you!”
He looked at me like he couldn’t believe what I’d just said, then immediately pulled me into a huge hug. (laughs) That was a beautiful moment.
People sometimes forget how much suffering I’ve been through playing against this man. I’ve spent years trying to stop him, preparing for games knowing he could decide everything in a single moment. Now, I finally have the opportunity to stand beside him instead of trying to stop him.
Honestly, I see it as a privilege. Playing alongside Messi is something special, and the more time you spend with him, the more you understand why people speak about him the way they do.
For me, he’s the greatest player football has ever seen. 🐐
VATIRA SE CONFIE AVEC ÉMOTION SUR SON DÉPART DE LA KARMINE CORP… 💔
« Je m’en voudrai toute ma vie de ne pas avoir gagné les Worlds chez KC. »
Après 4 années incroyables, il exprime toute sa reconnaissance envers Kamel et les fans, en rappelant les moments inoubliables qu’il a vécus au sein du club. 💙
« Je suis au fond du trou depuis quelques semaines… »
Un témoignage particulièrement touchant de Vatira. ❤️