Former Argentina captain Javier Mascherano will be Inter Miami’s next head coach, according to multiple sources.
Mascherano replaces Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, 61, who resigned officially on Friday due to personal reasons. This will be Mascherano’s first professional managerial position.
The 40-year-old will be reunited with Lionel Messi after the two spent nearly a decade together at Barcelona, winning 19 titles as teammates at the Catalan club. Messi and Mascherano played on the Argentina national team for 13 years and remain close friends.
On Friday, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas told reporters that the club were close to finalizing a deal for a new manager and that an announcement was imminent.
“I spoke to Lionel on Saturday after he and Tata had spoken,” Mas said. “I asked him, ‘What is important to you and what is important to get the best out of our roster and starting XI. How do we improve?’ Leo shared his thoughts with me. This is a very attractive position for a coach. We got it down to three final candidates by Tuesday. Familiarity with Leo and the other stars is an advantage in every aspect.”
Mas said that MLS experience was not a deciding factor after he and president of football operations Raul Sanllehi had narrowed their list to three potential candidates.
Mascherano has been coaching Argentina’s Under-20 and Under-23 teams since 2021. He has overseen 50 matches, earning 28 victories, 10 draws and 12 losses. At this summer’s Paris Olympics, Mascherano coached the gold-medal favorites Argentina to a disappointing quarterfinal exit to France.
A move to MLS will test Mascherano’s ability to manage the day-to-day aspects of a club side. He will also have to outperform Martino, who left after less than two seasons. Martino, a finalist for the coach of the year award in 2024, won the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters’ Shield.
Miami also set a points record this past season and scored 79 goals in 34 regular season matches. On Friday, Martino described coaching Miami as “demanding.” “It can be entrapping,” he added. Mas ambitiously said that he expects 2025 to be “trophy-laden.”
As a player, Mascherano won five La Liga titles during his time at Barcelona while also winning two Champions Leagues. He is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist after winning at the Athens and Beijing Games. The Argentinian also featured in the Premier League for Liverpool and West Ham United during a 17-year playing career that also took him to China, Brazil and his homeland.
Miami declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic.
(Top photo: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
