Next Inter Miami manager contenders

Inter Miami have announced that Javier Mascherarno has made the "decision to step down as the Club’s head coach for personal reasons".

The announcement comes just four months after the Argentine led the side to MLS glory with a 3-1 final victory over Vancouver Whitecaps, clinching the title for the first time in the club's history.

The Miami-based outfit boasted an impressive 55.2% win ratio during Mascherano's tenure, with Lionel Messi unsurprisingly flourishing under the stewardship of his former teammate, and the club confirmed that "Guillermo Hoyos will assume the role of First Team head coach for the upcoming matches".

We take a look at the potential contenders to take the Inter Miami hotseat on a permanent basis.

Guillermo Hoyos

While the general consensus is that Inter Miami will hire a permanent head coach to succeed Mascherano, Hoyos will take the team on a short-term basis and an ability to impress from the off could put him in contention for the permanent role.

The Argentine boasts a wealth of experience in the managerial scene, managing clubs in Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia, Greece, and Cyprus, and Inter Miami's trip to Colorado will mark his return to the touchline after parting ways with Bolivian outfit Oriente Petrolero in 2023.

While Hoyos might not be the household name that Inter Miami supporters are looking for given the promising direction that the club are heading in, it'd be near impossible to disregard him as an option if he can make an immediate impact.

Xavi Hernandez

The more recent signings of Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Rodrigo De Paul symbolise Inter Miami's ambition, and nothing screams ambition more than the appointment of former Barcelona player and manager Xavi Hernandez.

Despite links to numerous top European clubs in recent seasons, the former midfielder is yet to return to management since parting ways with Barcelona in May 2024.

Xavi led the Catalan giants to La Liga success in the 2023/24 season, and with his strong connection to Inter Miami captain Messi and retired duo Busquets and Alba, you'd be surprised if the prospect of hiring the 46-year-old isn't considered.

Marcelo Gallardo

The Inter Miami hierarchy will be aware that appointing managers who are currently in a job may prove difficult at this stage in the season, and so available head coach Marcelo Gallardo could prove a shrewd coup.

Having managed over 400 games over two spells with River Plate since concluding his professional playing career, alongside managerial stints with Nacional Montevideo and Al Ittihad, Gallardo is highly regarded in South America and may be keen to test the waters in North America in the event that he is approached by Inter Miami.

Wilfried Nancy

Wilfried Nancy's reputation took a sizeable hit when winning just two games during his eight-game tenure at Celtic, but he did enjoy success in the MLS with Columbus Crew and he'd surely relish the opportunity to return to America.

Losing just 30 of his 136 games in charge of Columbus Crew and guiding the club to the MLS Cup in 2023, it was Nancy's high-risk, high-reward style of play that caught the attention of the Bhoys, and he'd no doubt be keen to better his managerial credentials if targeted by the reigning champions.