Mascherano reveals extent of Messi influence in Inter Miami coaching decision

In an interview with AS USA Latino, the new Herons coach has described the opportunity to coach former Barcelona teammate Messi as a “privilege”.

The Javier Mascherano era has officially begun at Inter Miami, with the support of co-owners Jorge and José Mas, as well as David Beckham. They have placed their trust in the former coach of the Argentina U-20 national team and see him as the ideal person to continue the work started by the now departed Gerardo 'Tata' Martino.

Mascherano was officially unmasked as the new head coach of Inter Miami on Tuesday. After the press conference, where he was assisted by Jorge Mas, the former Argentine footballer gave an exclusive interview to AS USA Latino. He shared his initial thoughts on this new challenge in his career and the main reason why he chose to lead 'The Herons'.

Mascherano's reasons for coaching Inter Miami

One of the main reasons for joining Inter Miami was the presence of Lionel Messi in the team, which Mascherano described as a 'privilege'. He expressed his excitement about coaching someone who was not only his teammate on the Argentina national team and at Barcelona, ​​but is also considered one of the greatest footballers in history. Furthermore, the former midfielder and defender will reunite with other famous faces such as Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

“The privilege of coaching Messi. Obviously players of the caliber of my former teammates such as Luis, 'Busi', Jordi and others that I have had the privilege of getting to know, especially the Argentinians, and some young players from the academy such as Noah Allen and David Ruiz, who have potential. Having worked with youth players for a long time, I am happy to continue to have this opportunity,” said Mascherano about his decision to join Inter Miami.

Few changes are expected after Herons' Supporters' Shield win

Mascherano, who will lead Las Garzas to the 2025 Club World Cup, highlighted the excellent work Inter Miami has done under Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, which will serve as a basis for establishing his own philosophy at the club. He wants to give the team a new identity, but believes that not much needs to change as they are on the right track and have a solid foundation for success.

“The team did very well. Unfortunately, during the play-offs they were unlucky with two bad games and were eliminated. We need to analyze the whole picture, not just the final snapshot. From there, with my print, my ideas, what I think, what I like, maybe I can change a few things in the playing style, but not much. If you have good players, it becomes easier. We have a team with very good players, a team that I like very much,” concludes Mascherano.

Original article written by Fernando Petrocelli, Diego Gorostieta and Marco Jiménez, translated with the help of AI and edited by Roddy Cons.