Julian Gressel prepared for life at Inter Miami like any new Lionel Messi teammate would. First, he went for a run. Next, he binged old Barcelona highlights on YouTube. Then he sorted through a move to South Florida in January, as Inter’s second offseason signing. And before long, he bought a subscription to Babbel, the language-learning platform.
Gressel, a German American midfielder, had picked up pinches of Spanish throughout his seven years in Major League Soccer. He maintained a Duolingo streak that recently hit 1,000 days. His Miami move, though, was impetus to get serious.