Javier Mascherano has been appointed as Inter Miami’s new manager, with the Argentina coach taking his first steps onto the touchline at club level.
The former FC Barcelona defender was announced last month as Tata Martino’s successor, with Mascherano reuniting with former teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets at Chase Stadium.
With Mascherano already having plans to sign the likes of Angel Di Maria, the 40-year-old coach is looking to get off on the right foot as manager of Inter Miami, where the pressure will be on the succeed next year.
And Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas has now shared the truth on rumors that he tried to sign Mascherano as a player.
Jorge Mas confirms Inter Miami transfer talks with Mascherano in 2019
Speaking to the press at Mascherano’s unveiling as Inter Miami manager, Mas confirmed that he did indeed speak with the former Argentina international about joining the Herons in their infancy, with the prospect of becoming a coach also brought up.
Although a transfer did not happen, the fact that Mascherano has been linked with Inter Miami in some capacity since 2019 speaks volume on how highly rated the Argentine coach is in Florida, with Mas never forgetting his meeting with the former defender.
Mas said when asked about his relationship with Mascherano: “This is a journey that started in August 2019. We spent an entire night in my office in Miami talking about football and about his philosophy.
“At that time, I was thinking of bringing him in as a player, and then he would go on to coach the academy. Back then, he already had a football philosophy that was very interesting for me to see and, five years later, being able to name you as coach today is an honor.”
Mascherano has to deliver next season in Florida
With Mascherano considered for a coaching role at Inter Miami as far back as 2020, the former Argentina U-23 manager is clearly highly-rated by Mas and other figures of the Herons hierarchy since that first meeting in 2019.
And heading into next season, the pressure will be on for Mascherano to deliver for Inter Miami, with the former Liverpool star already having certain expectations that first-time coaches won’t usually have in MLS.
Indeed, Mascherano comes with a big backing from the owners, and the Argentine will want to show Inter Miami fans he has what it takes to lead them to glory having fallen so short this year under Martino.