Report: Messi's former teammate Mascherano close to becoming Inter Miami coach

Lionel Messi is on the cusp of reuniting with former Argentina national teammate Javier Mascherano with Inter Miami, this time as player and coach, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.

Multiple reports out of Argentina said Mascherano has already agreed to take over as coach at Inter Miami as the replacement for Gerardo “Tata” Martino — who stepped down citing personal reasons. Mascherano emerged as Inter Miami's frontrunner earlier this week, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been revealed by the team.

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said the team had three finalists in mind for the job, then made a pick on the replacement Wednesday — but would not confirm that the deal with Mascherano is done, or that he even was the final selection.

“We are very near the end of the process,” Mas said. “We will be announcing a new coach for Inter Miami in the upcoming days."

Messi and Mascherano were teammates both for Argentina and with Barcelona; for the Spanish club, Mascherano also played alongside current Inter Miami standouts Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez. Mascherano, at one time, was the all-time leader for Argentina’s national team in international appearances; Messi has since broken that record.

Mas said he spoke with Messi last week about the coaching search. It’s not known if Messi played an active role in recruiting Mascherano, who currently is Argentina’s U-20 national coach.

“I asked him, 'What is important to you? And what do you think is important to get the best out of our roster and out of our 11 and how do we improve?” Mas said. “And Leo shared with me his thoughts. ... Without a doubt, a familiarity with Leo and the other stars is an advantage in every aspect. Obviously, I want Leo to feel comfortable with the new trainer, with the new coach coming in."

Martino guided Inter Miami to the best regular season record in Major League Soccer history this season. He was hired in July 2023, right around the time that Messi debuted for the club and insisted Friday that he needs to leave for personal reasons.

Inter Miami — which won the 2023 Leagues Cup and MLS Supporters Shield this season under Martino — was eliminated in the first round of this year’s MLS Cup playoffs. The team's 2025 season starts with training camp in January.

Martino also had deep ties to Messi before coming to Inter Miami; he coached the world's most decorated men's player and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner with Barcelona and Argentina’s national team before reuniting with him in South Florida. Martino said Friday he decided just before the start of the playoffs that he would not be back with Inter Miami next season.

“Needless to say, we’ve enjoyed it a lot and I’m grateful for the opportunity, on behalf of my entire coaching staff, to have been able to work at this club,” Martino said Friday in his farewell news conference. “The truth is that it’s been very captivating being part of the change during this year and a half.”

Inter Miami was 26-9-12 in MLS regular season matches in the Martino era.

The 40-year-old Mascherano also played for five seasons in the Premier League, most of that with Liverpool. He played in the World Cup four times for Argentina — 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

The new coach — Mascherano or anyone else — will have a very busy first year. Inter Miami has a preseason tour planned in 2025, plus a 34-match MLS regular season and will play in Leagues Cup, the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

“This is an extremely attractive position for a coach,” Mas said.

Messi — MLS' highest-paid player, someone who had a 2 1/2-year deal worth an estimated $150 million in total when he joined Inter Miami — is going into his final guaranteed season with the club. He has an option for 2026, the year that Inter Miami plans to finally move into its Freedom Park complex currently being built near Miami International Airport.

“Leo and I will sit and we'll discuss the future,” Mas said. “As I've said before, and I will repeat it now, I fully expect that the opening of our new stadium in 2026 in Miami — and the opening of our '26 season, hopefully after a trophy-laden 2025 season — that Lionel Messi will be our No. 10.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer