Javier Mascherano confirmed as Inter Miami manager reuniting the ex-Argentina midfielder with Lionel Messi

Former Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano has been officially announced as the new manager of Inter Miami.

Mascherano will now be the head coach of the Major League Soccer super team led by his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.

This comes after manager Tata Martino decided to leave the club after a season in which they won the Supporters Shield but were eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs by Atlanta United.

Prior to this recent appointment, Mascherano was the head coach of the Argentina U20 and U23 national teams.

Mascherano led the Argentina men’s team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. There they finished second in Group B and fell to host country and eventual silver medalist France in the quarter-finals.

Mascherano arrives without any experience of coaching a senior team or a first team at any level, whether international or club level.

Mascherano takes over a Miami team led by his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi

It appears to be yet another move by Inter Miami owners Jorge Mas, Jose Mas and David Beckham to recruit as many members of the 2015 UEFA Champions League-winning Barcelona team as possible.

Jorge Mas, the club’s managing owner, said in a statement: ‘This job requires someone with the experience to maximize our unique collection of talent – from our global superstars, to our fast-growing homegrown players, to our young international prospects. , and everything in between.

“Javier has gained unparalleled experience throughout his career, from playing on the biggest stages in the world to coaching at international youth level; he has the mix of skills and experience we were looking for, even having direct coaching experience [Inter Miami players] Tomás Avilés, Facundo Farías, Federico Redondo and Benjamin Cremaschi.

“We believe Javier will be an important addition to our club as we continue our quest to be among the world’s best and set a new standard for soccer in North America.”

David Beckham also contributed to the club statement, saying: ‘Throughout his career as one of the best players in the world and as an experienced coach, Javier has always shown what makes him great: ruthless determination with the knowledge, instincts and understanding to back it up . . We are very excited to welcome him to lead our team.”

Mascherano said: “It is an honor for me to lead a club like Inter Miami, and a privilege that I will strive to make the most of. I was attracted by the organization’s undeniable ambition and the infrastructure it has to support it.

“I look forward to working with the people at Inter Miami to help the club reach new heights and provide fans with even more unforgettable moments.”

Mascherano will be tasked with delivering success to the club after a season that ended much earlier than anyone associated with The Herons might have hoped.

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said Mascherano “has amassed unparalleled experience throughout his career”

Co-owner David Beckham also praised Mascherano for his experience as a player and coach

After winning the Supporters Shield – awarded to the team that earns the most points in an MLS season – eight points ahead of the Columbus Crew, Messi & Co. fell. at the first hurdle in the play-offs.

The silverware may be nice, but by MLS standards, Miami will remain uncrowned after losing a three-match series to nine-seed Atlanta United.

After winning the first game 2-1, they also trailed 2-1 in the second game.

In the do-or-die third game, Miami couldn’t hang on despite scoring first, as Atlanta won 3–2 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Inter Miami saw Suarez and Messi finish joint second alongside Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga in the goalscoring race. Messi also finished tied for third in assists with 16.

That all happened under Tata Martino, the former Barcelona manager who won an MLS Cup with Atlanta United in 2018.

Martino helped Inter Miami start its silverware cabinet with a Leagues Cup crown in 2023 before winning the Supporters Shield and Eastern Conference regular season title last season.

After the elimination, Martino decided to leave the club, citing ‘personal reasons’.

Mascherano (center) is best associated with his time at Barcelona, ​​where he won multiple Spanish league titles and cups, as well as the Champions League twice

With Argentina, Mascherano won a gold medal at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games (above)

Mascherano has only been coaching since 2021 after hanging up his boots following a playing career that included 649 club games and 147 caps for Argentina.

His career included stops at River Plate, Corinthians, West Ham, Liverpool, Barcelona, ​​Hebei China Fortune and Estudiantes. Mascherano scored five goals at club level and three internationally, while gaining a reputation as one of the best performing midfielders of his generation.

He is best associated with Barcelona, ​​where he played 334 games. He won La Liga five times, the Copa del Rey five times and the Spanish Super Cup three times. Mascherano also won the 2010/11 Champions League, the 2014/15 Champions League and both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2011 and 2015.

As a player for Argentina, he won gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He was also part of the side that finished second at the 2014 World Cup and finished second at the Copa America four times.