The day after the announcement of his departure from Juventus Turin, Blaise Matuidi took the plunge on Thursday: the French international will join Inter Miami and the American Football Championship (MLS), a risky bet less than one year of the Euro. At 33 years old and for the first time in his career, Matuidi, passed by Saint-Etienne (2007-11) and Paris SG (2011-17), will become the star player of his new team. "I made my decision to join Inter Miami a few weeks ago," he explains in a clip called "the last dance" where he features his family.
I made my decision a few weeks ago to join @intermiamicf, rise to my friend David Beckham's challenge and win new trophies there. My family and I can't wait 👊🏾⚽🇺🇸🦩 #GiveItAll
Full interview 👇🏾 @bros_stories https://t.co/he4qR0mG2A pic.twitter.com/kLRVi5RoTE
Inter Miami, which is making its MLS debut this season, struck a blow by offering itself the 2018 world champion, just crowned Italian champion with Juventus for the third consecutive year. In Florida, “Blaisou” will meet David Beckham, his former teammate at Paris SG who is one of the co-owners of Inter Miami and especially his figurehead.
“I am so happy to welcome my friend Blaise to Inter Miami. He is an exciting and gifted player, a good person too ", welcomed the former England international." Having a world champion of the quality of Blaise in our new team is a source of pride for us, the owners as well as for our fans, ”he continued.
Euro 2021 and the previous Giroud
"For me, personally, seeing a former teammate join this club is very special," admitted the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder. "Blaise is one of the best midfielders of his time. generation (...) His level of world standing and his leadership will be valuable assets for our club, ”added Paul McDonough, the club's sporting director.
With Matuidi, Inter Miami considerably expands a squad without much relief with American and Canadian internationals as “stars”.
If this transfer is undoubtedly a very good operation for Inter Miami who could not give him, during the season, the status of “Designated player” (the best paid players around whom a team is built, numbering of three) and for the MLS which remains despite the passages of Henry, Ibrahimovic, Gerrard or Rooney, a second zone championship, the choice of Matuidi does not fail to question.
The former Parisian, who still had a year's contract with Juve, had become, according to the Italian press, undesirable in the eyes of the Piedmont club's new coach, Andrea Pirlo. In recent weeks, he had occupied the bench a little more often. substitutes, barred in particular by his compatriot Adrien Rabiot, as during the elimination in the knockout stages of the Champions League against Lyon last week.
With this transfer, will he compromise his participation in Euro 2020, postponed to June 2021? Not necessarily. The coach of the Blues Didier Deschamps has, since the coronation in Russia in 2018, always maintained great confidence in his eleven-type, and even more in his executives of which Matuidi is part.
For example, he continued to select midfielder Steven Nzonzi despite his departure for Galatasaray, and striker Olivier Giroud remained indisputable despite his almost total absence of playing time with Chelsea last fall.
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