With the news that soccer superstar Lionel Messi will not be in Vancouver to play against the Whitecaps on Saturday, head coach Vanni Sartini said they have to see it as an opportunity to impress, along with cheaper stadium food.
“What I can say is that gives us even more responsibility to put up a great show, to play very well, to come in and check out the Whitecaps, and to see how entertaining we can be,” Sartini told Global News Morning.
It was confirmed on Thursday that Messi will not play when Inter Miami takes the field against the Whitecaps at BC Place on Saturday.
About 55,000 people are expected to attend the game.
“So I think it’s a great opportunity for us to, I would say, showcase our product and to do a good job,” Sartini said.
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Messi’s image was used in advertising for the game against the Whitecaps, which many said was misleading to fans.
Sartini said this has happened with star players and away games before; he noted that a less congested schedule could mean that players could attend away games and still have enough time to rest after.
“In Italian, we say ‘It’s a dog who bites its own tail,’ because, you know, if you want a less congested schedule, it means less games,” he said. “Yeah, it’s less games, it means less money.”
In addition to Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets will miss the game on Saturday.
In a statement on Thursday, the Whitecaps said all in-stadium food and beverages for the match will be half-price. And, youth 18 and under will get one free kid’s meal combo.
“We totally understand the frustration, you know, we know that some of the people spent large amounts of money, too,” Sartini added.
He said all the team can do now is play well and entertain the large crowd.
“I think the goal is to be the best version of ourselves,” Sartini added.