MIAMI, Florida: Yassine Chueko grabbing headlines is the man who has been hired to guard Lionel Messi, the soccer superstar who recently moved to Inter Miami in the MLS.
Chueko as per La Nacion is a former US Navy Seal who has fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and has expertise in martial arts, taekwondo, boxing, and MMA.
Lionel Messi's remarkable start helped Inter Miami book a place in the final
Inter Miami staged a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down to beat Cincinnati on penalties in the US Open Cup semi-finals on Wednesday night, thanks to Lionel Messi’s magic.
The 36-year-old, who joined the MLS club last month, set up both goals in normal time and scored in the shootout as Inter Miami won 5-4 from the spot. The game ended 3-3 after extra time.
Messi’s dream start in America continued as he helped Inter Miami reach the final of the oldest and most prestigious football tournament in the country, which started in 1913.
Who picked Yassine Chueko and how close is he to Lionel Messi?
Chueko was reportedly chosen by Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, who wanted to make sure Messi’s security was top-notch amid the huge excitement that his signing has created.
On Wednesday Messi and his Miami teammates celebrated Leonardo Campana’s stoppage-time equalizer, while Yassine Chueko ran past the corner flag on the sideline.
He is always near to Messi. Be it on the team bus, changing room, or walking along the touchline to follow Messi's moments during the game.
A video that has attracted a lot of interest showed the scene before the team’s League Cup semi-final victory over Philadelphia.
In the video, Chueko was seen standing by the door of the team bus, letting several players pass by until Messi showed up, and he quickly sprang into action.
What did Jorge Mas say about Lionel Messi's security?
Inter Miami’s dedication to Messi’s security was explained by co-owner Jorge Mas, who led the persuasive campaign to bring him to the US, in June.
He said that they have been preparing for this since Messi trained in Miami with Argentina before the World Cup in 2022.
He said that they saw and handled the “Messi mania” very well at that time. “Security will obviously be enhanced,” he told the Miami Herald.
“Players will be bussed in, going through a tunnel. All of those security protocols are already prepared both for here and away. And it’s not only for our games.”
Is the rising number of pitch invaders a reason to bring Chueko to guard Messi?
The decision is indeed also motivated by the rising number of pitch invaders in recent years, Daily Mail wrote.
Beckham had to select a skilled Chueko for those and considering the fanfare Messi had generated due to their unbelievable start to life in the US, it was a wise decision, it noted.
“It’s going to be an everyday occurrence and something we witnessed and I thought handled very well when (Messi) was here with Argentina before the World Cup," Jorge Mas continued.
“As you may recall, Argentina trained in Miami before they flew over to Doha. We had an opportunity to see some of the Messi mania at our doors on an everyday basis during practice. So, we’re very prepared. We’ve been getting ready for this," he added.
