Official: Former Barcelona teammate takes over as manager of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami | OneFootball

Ex-Barcelona star Javier Mascherano has on Tuesday been named the new head coach of Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami.

The situation on the bench at Chase Stadium has taken its place front and centre in the headlines in the American soccer scene over the course of the last week.

This comes after Gerardo Martino made the call to step down from his role, on the back of Inter’s exit from the MLS Cup at the hands of Atlanta United.

The brass in Miami, in turn, set about sourcing a swift replacement for Martino.

And, as alluded to above, on Tuesday, the chosen one has been unveiled.

As per a statement across Inter Miami’s website and social media platforms this evening, Argentine icon Javier Mascherano has taken up the reins at Chase Stadium:

‘Inter Miami CF announced today that it has named Argentina and FC Barcelona legend Javier Mascherano as its head coach, signing him to a contract through the 2027 Major League Soccer (MLS) season.’

Mascherano’s MLS switch brings to an end his time as Argentina U20 boss, with the 40-year-old joining forces with ex-Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez in Florida.

Conor Laird – GSFN