Mascherano Close to Coaching Messi at Inter Miami

Gerardo “Tata” Martino, the head coach of Inter Miami, resigned on Friday for personal reasons after the team’s early exit from the MLS playoffs.

Under Martino’s leadership, Inter Miami, which features Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, topped the regular season standings in MLS with a record-breaking 74 points in 34 games, winning the Supporters’ Shield.

Despite this, Inter Miami was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Atlanta United, a team that finished the regular season in ninth place. Atlanta previously won the league title under Martino’s guidance in 2018.

Miami also fell short in the Round of 16 of the Leagues Cup and was knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions League by Mexico’s Monterrey in the quarterfinals earlier this year.

In a statement, Martino said, “It has been an honor to work for such a special club and to coach such an exceptional team. I leave feeling deeply grateful for my time here.”

Jorge Mas, one of the club’s owners, told reporters that the team is “very close to concluding” the process of selecting a new head coach, with an announcement expected in the coming days.

When asked about reports suggesting Javier Mascherano, Messi’s former teammate at Barcelona and with Argentina’s national team, as the frontrunner, Mas declined to comment on specific candidates.

Martino, who coached Barcelona a decade ago and led Argentina’s national team for two years, joined Inter Miami in June 2023. He guided the team to win the Leagues Cup last season, marking the club’s first major trophy since its founding by former England captain David Beckham.

In addition to Messi (37), Miami also signed Messi’s former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.

Despite Messi missing significant parts of the 2024 season due to injuries and international duties, he and Suárez each scored 20 league goals. Miami defeated Atlanta 2–1 in the first playoff game but lost the next two matches, exiting the postseason in one of the biggest upsets in league history.

As the Supporters’ Shield winners, Inter Miami has secured a spot in the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States in June and July next year.