Overview:
Lionel Messi has a new coach, his third one this Major League Soccer season.
Lionel Messi and his teammates will have to get accustomed to yet another coach this MLS campaign. (Jon van Woerden Photo)
MIAMI – Lionel Messi has a new coach, his third one this Major League Soccer season.
Inter Miami CF announced on Thursday that it has reached an agreement with Cristian Alberto “Kily” Gonzalez to become the club’s new first team head coach.
Gonzalez will officially assume his duties once he receives the corresponding work permits.
Guillermo Hoyos will continue as interim head coach until the arrival of the new head coach and his coaching staff, the team stated in a press release.
Hoyos replaced Javier Mascherano, who resigned on April 14, four months after guiding Miami to the MLS Cup crown.
Gonzalez, 52, is a former winger who played for Boca Juniors in Argentina, Zaragoza and Valencia in Spain and Inter Milan in Italy.
He made 56 international appearances and was a member of the Argentine gold medal-winning side at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Since 2020, Gonzalez has coached Rosario Central, Union, and most recently Platense in Argentina.
“Inter Miami would like to especially highlight and thank Hoyos for his commitment and full dedication to the Club, demonstrated by his willingness to assume the role during this period, which began last April,” the MLS club said in a statement.
Miami sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with an 11-4-6 record and 39 points, 10 points adrift from first-place Nashville SC (15-2-4, 49).