Javier Mascherano unexpectedly stepped down as the manager of Inter Miami just four months after leading Lionel Messi and the club to an MLS Cup title in December.
After officially citing personal reasons for his departure, Sporting Director Guillermo Hoyos has now taken over the coaching duties on an interim basis.
This move continues a pattern of frequent leadership changes at the club, following the resignation of Gerardo "Tata" Martino in late 2024 and the dismissal of Phil Neville in mid-2023.
Despite the team’s recent success on the field, new reports from DSports Argentina suggest that the true cause of Mascherano's exit involves significant internal friction.
He reportedly struggled with a strained professional relationship with Guillermo Hoyos and found himself at odds with the club's recent personnel moves.
Specifically, Mascherano was reportedly against the arrival of Rodrigo De Paul and did not support the decision to renew the contract of 39-year-old Luis Suárez.
These disagreements over the roster and the overall direction of the squad appear to have led to his sudden decision to leave the organization.
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images
A DSport correspondent stated the following on Maschareno’s exit.
"What I have is that Mascherano is not leaving for personal reasons."
"Worn-out locker room. Worn out with Hoyos…an uncomfortable relationship with De Paul. Mascherano did not ask for De Paul. De Paul is a very important guy in the locker room who was not requested by Mascherano. Discomfort in the locker room."
"And a worn-out relationship with Suárez, whom Mascherano took out because he did not see him well physically.”
"Worn-out human relationships. It is true that his wife is in San Lorenzo with the children, that he was alone there, but they are not personal problems like Tata Martino's, who quickly returned to coaching, but a worn-out human relationship in the locker room. That is my information."
