The United States football club manager, Inter Miami, has appointed former Argentina midfielder, Javier Mascherano, as their new head coach.
Mascherano, who will coach his former Barcelona team-mate, Lionel Messi, at the club, replaces Gerardo Martino who stood down last week due to ‘personal reasons’.
The Major League Soccer club announced its decision on Tuesday, to fill the vacuum left by Martino.
The 40-year-old has most recently worked as coach of the Argentine Under-20 and the Olympic team which competed in the Paris Olympics.
He made 203 appearances for Barcelona and as well as playing alongside Messi, he was a team-mate of current Inter Miami players Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez.
In his job with the Argentine FA’s youth set-up, Mascherano coached Inter Miami’s players Tomas Aviles, Facundo Farías, and Federico Redondo
“This job requires somebody with the experience to be able to maximize our unique collection of talent – from our global superstars to our burgeoning homegrown players, to our young international prospects, and everything in between,” said Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas.
“Javier has amassed unmatched experience in his career, from playing on the world’s biggest stages to coaching at the youth international level; he has the blend of skills and experience we were looking for.
“We believe Javier is an important addition to our club as we continue on our quest to be among the world’s elite, setting a new standard for football in North America,” added Mas.
This year, Miami dominated the MLS regular season, winning the Supporters’ Shield for the team with the best overall record, breaking the points record in the process — an achievement which led FIFA to hand them a place in next year’s Club World Cup.
But Miami lost out to Atlanta, in a best-three opening round to the MLS Cup playoffs in what was a major upset.
Club co-owner, David Beckham, said he was sure that the new coach had the qualities needed for MLS’s most high-profile club.
“Javier has always demonstrated what makes him great – relentless determination with the knowledge, instincts, and understanding to back it up. We’re very excited to welcome him to lead our team,” said Beckham.
During his playing career, Mascherano made his mark with River Plate in his homeland before a season with Corinthians in Brazil. He then played in England for West Ham United and Liverpool before he moved to Barcelona.
At Camp Nou, the defensive midfielder was part of five Spanish title-winning teams and won the Champions League twice with the Catalan club.
“To be able to lead a club like Inter Miami is an honor for me, and a privilege I will strive to make the most of,” Mascherano said.
“I was drawn to the organization’s undeniable ambition and the infrastructure it has to support it. I’m looking forward to working with the people at Inter Miami to help the club reach new heights, and to give the fans more unforgettable moments,” he added.
