Inter Miami’s next move could reunite Lionel Messi with a familiar face

Inter Miami's identity has been built on chaos, ever since they began play two weeks before Covid-19 shutdown the world, and that theme very much remains. On Tuesday, completely out of nowhere, it was announced that Javier Mascherano would no longer be Inter Miami manager. Before we analyse the nuts and bolts of why this happened, we wonder, should Xavi be the man to replace him?

As alluded to, the Mascherano news came totally out of the blue; in this day and age, it is frankly unprecedented for no one to have an inkling ahead of time, which raised so many questions. All four members of his coaching staff departed as well, namely Lucas Rodríguez Pagano, Leandro Stillitano, Javier Morales and Mauro Dobler, leading to speculation that he has another job lined up elsewhere.

However, it has subsequently been reported by Tom Bogert of the Athletic that there was "a locker room argument" following last weekend's 2-2 draw with Red Bull New York at Nu Stadium. He adds that "tensions had been growing" ever since the Herons' CONCACAF Champions Cup exit at the hands of Nashville, leading to increased "discontent" among the players. For now, veteran journeyman coach Guillermo Hoyos will take interim charge, starting with Saturday's trip to Colorado Rapids, following swiftly by a visit to Real Salt Lake the following Wednesday.

Lionel Messi could get reunited with Xavi at Inter Miami

Longer term, everything we know about this organisation suggests it it going to be a man Lionel Messi knows, likes and approves of who will come in, so could that be Xavi? The pair made 399 appearances alongside one another at Barcelona, where Xavi would return as manager, after beginning his coaching career at Al-Sadd in Qatar.

During 143 matches in charge of the Blaugrana, he oversaw 91 wins, picking up both the Supercopa de España and La Liga titles in 2023. League success with Barça may not seem like a noteworthy achievement, but this one really was. The club was going through a real period of austerity and, when he arrived in November 2021, they were eighth in the table and Camp Nou was half empty, reflecting the mood of the fanbase in a post-Messi world.

He proved himself capable of coaching a dressing room that featured both expensive superstars, including Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembélé and Raphinha, as well as up and coming youngsters. Xavi handed debuts to Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Fermín López and others, while Pedri, Gavi and Alejandro Balde came to the fore as key contributors. This pretty much reflects what it is like to have an MLS roster, particularly the one Miami have assembled.

Since being unceremoniously sacked two years ago, Xavi has been perennially linked to many of Europe's biggest clubs; Manchester United and Chelsea most frequently than most. He also turned down the chance to coach Morocco at this summer's World Cup, after the Atlas Lions sacked Walid Regragui, instead promoting under-23s boss Mohamed Ouahbi.

So, perhaps now is the right time for Xavi to get back into management in South Florida. Inter Miami have just eight more MLS regular season games before the World Cup break, after which they'll be seeking to reach a third Leagues Cup Final in four years. Their primary target was CONCACAF glory, but that has now gone, so now would be a good, low-pressure time to arrive in Miami for Xavi.

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