Inter Miami have appointed former Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano as their new head coach, the Major League Soccer club said on Tuesday.
Mascherano will coach his former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi at the club and replaces Gerardo Martino, who stood down last week due to "personal reasons."
The 40-year-old has most recently worked as coach of the Argentine Under-20's and their Olympic team at 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 and Sergio Busquets and Luis Suárez.
In his job with the Argentine FA's youth set-up Mascherano coached Inter Miami's players Tomás Avilés, Facundo Farías and Federico Redondo
"This job requires somebody with the experience to be able to maximise 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 play-offs 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.
In 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 the 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 honour for me, and a privilege I will strive to make the most of," Mascherano said.
"I was drawn to the organisation’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.
The appointment was the third coaching move in MLS on Tuesday.
New York City FC, who were eliminated from the playoffs after a home defeat to local rivals New York Red Bulls on Saturday announced that coach Nick Cushing was leaving the club, which is owned by Manchester City's City Football Group.
St.Louis City, the second-year club who missed out on the playoffs this season, appointed former Sweden captain and ex-Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg as their new coach.
– TIMES/AFP
by Simon Evans, AFP
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