Javier Mascherano was named as Inter Miami’s new head coach after Tata Martino’s resignation at the end of last season.
The former FC Barcelona defender reunited with Lionel Messi and friends at Chase Stadium with Mascherano taking his first steps into club management having worked with Argentina’s youth teams as a coach before making the move to Inter Miami.
With Yannick Bright already noticing differences between Mascherano and Martino at Inter Miami, the young Argentine manager heads into the 2025 season as a relative unknown in the coaching world, with this winter’s pre-season set to give fans a good insight into what to expect this year.
Having already beaten Club America on penalties in Las Vegas, Mascherano will face his second test tonight against Peruvian side Universitario de Deportes, where the Inter Miami manager has been sharing his thoughts on working with his former Barcelona teammates.
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Mascherano keen to enjoy new successes with former teammates at Inter Miami
Speaking to Fox Deportes, the former Argentina international shared how he is pleased to be working with his former Barcelona teammates as a manager, with Mascherano keen to write new successes and triumphs in Florida.
With Mascherano ready to do whatever Messi needs to be as fit as possible, the dynamic between the new Inter Miami manager and the Herons’ star players could be massive in the squad staying healthy and competing for every piece of silverware this season.
Mascherano said: “It’s a joy as I haven’t seen them for a long time. Many of them marked the end of an era at Barcelona when I was with them, so it is a joy to spend time with people you love and who I have experienced such important things with in my sporting career.
“The challenge now is to not tell myself to relieve these moments, because we are in another stage of our lives, but let’s hope we enjoy similar successes.
Who can be Inter Miami’s breakout star this season?
Mascherano joins Inter Miami at an exciting time in the franchise’s history, with 2025 set to be the biggest year ever for the Florida side with taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup taking part this summer as well as the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Although Inter Miami won’t be competing in the US Open Cup, there’s every chance that Mascherano will be the orchestrator in bringing through a number of new breakout stars for the Herons heading into the new season.
Santiago Morales has already made a name for himself at Inter Miami after his penalty shoot-out heroics against Club America, and new signing Rocco Rios Novo could establish himself as the long-term replacement for Drake Callender if the US youth international gets a shot in the starting XI.