Even after his move to the American MLS, Lionel Messi (37) remains one of the most important footballers in the world. Now Kléberson (45), world champion in 2002, has some advice for the superstar on how he could have even more influence.
“The way people see the MLS has changed enormously since Messi started playing in the league. Everything he brings to the league as a player: the performances, the audience revenue, the revenue in general is incredible,” the Brazilian told DAZN.
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Last summer, Messi moved to Inter Miami, where he plays alongside his former Barça colleagues Luis Suárez (37), Sergio Busquets (36) and Jordi Alba (35). This celebrity has been able to boost the popularity of the MLS in a short space of time – according to the American “Sports Business Journal”, many stadiums are actually no longer big enough.
Nevertheless, Kléberson still sees an opportunity for Messi to increase his impact: “As head coach for an MLS team, his influence could be even greater.”
Kléberson (here at the 2010 World Cup) won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 – and beat Germany in the final
Foto: picture alliance / empics
“Of course, not all outstanding players become outstanding coaches, but his chances of success at Inter Miami or similar teams are very high,” stressed the Brazilian, who himself has held several positions as an assistant coach since the end of his active career. Kléberson has also been on the sidelines in the MLS, working for a year at New York City FC.
It is not yet clear when Messi will hang up his boots. His contract in Florida runs until the summer of 2025, so what will happen then is uncertain. He recently told ESPN Argentina: “I’m not ready to give up football, I’ve done it all my life, I enjoy training, the games. The fear that it will all be over is always there. I think Inter Miami will be my last club.”
So he could definitely stay on for another year or two. Will he move to the coaching bench after that?
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