In many ways, Lionel Messi’s interior change in Miami was immediate. He arrived in 2023 with a bridge like God and of course, with supernatural talent. He attracted Unpredictable attentionHe needed New level of security And professionalism. They converted the average joes into target creators, and a basement-resident in a trophy-winner, all in less than two months.
However, he was not immediately, however, there was complete control. He needed time to familiarize himself with the liver of power. So his acquisition of Antar Miami was gradual, and to a large extent ignoring – so far.
Now, in the year 3, it seems complete. Messi will aim with a long team partner as his head coach for several titles in 2025, and with them ,Pap fubolistico, – His former academy coach and “Socker Dad” – Taking care of the roster of Inter Miami.
If their first half year was frenzy, and their second year was the most valuable, would it be an experiment: can a superstar-GM, A La Lebron James, Major League be successful in the soccer?
In 2024, Messi assembled a suicide of friends; He won the shield of supporters with a record number of regular-season points; But they were out of the ConcacAF Champions Cup and MLS Playoffs.
In 2025, they are completely, Messi’s team. The question is whether they are better for this.
Messi’s increasing influence
Like any supreme successful athlete, Messi has been given significant impact in his entire career. As a humble, soft -spoken introverted, they have not always inserted it. But that Is Used it as his middlemen with his father, friends or confidants.
In Miami, where his height dwarfed the club, he initially used his power to raise the standards. In 2023, Miami’s defender Kamal Miller told Yahoo Sports last year, “When we were making issues with flights, he stood many times for the group, or the food was not quite good.” “He was about to speak and represent the team for speaking and owners and coaches.” Staff will change its ways in Messi’s command.
However, it is a specific captain behavior. Messi’s 2024-25 Offsen has been something else.
It began when head coach Tata Martino resigned due to “personal reasons”. Four days later, Inter Miami Having a replacement hired: Xavier Maschherano, whose primary qualification seemed to be a decade with Messi’s team partner in Barcelona and with the Argentina National Team. The only pre -coaching experience of Masterano was with Argentina youth teams, which he had taken in three major tournaments; All three went out without winning a knockout-round.
At least in part, the former midfielder was hired, as George Mass, owner of Inter Miami’s management, spoke with Messi soon after Martino’s resignation. “I asked him,” What’s important to you? And what is important to get the best from our roster and start 11? How do we improve? “Mess remembered.” Leo shared her thoughts with me Doed. “
Mass said that “familiarity with Leo and other stars is an advantage in every aspect.”
He said, “I want Leo to feel comfortable with the new coach, who is coming in.”
He clarified that he and the Raul Sanlehi – Executive of East Barcelona who was curious Hired as chairman of football operation In June – Coaching will “Spearhead”. But there was hardly any discovery. The decision was sharp, and the reason was clear to anyone with the brain.
“Leo gave me what I asked him, which was input,” the month accepted after introducing Masterano. “She was Leo’s participation and engagement with me, which is, clearly, all the time.”
Messi, however, did not stop there. after a reported that With Sanllehí during the presence, the club re-handed over Sanllehí to the non-speech department completely separated. This replaced him with Guillermo Hoyos, who was the coach of Kishore Messi in La Masia, Academy of Barcelona.
As Hoyos later jumped around a wife of short -term coaching gigs in Nandeskript clubs in Greece, Cyprus, Bolmbia, Columbia, Jacksonville, Chile, Argentina and Mexico, Messi is allegedly now close to -61 -year -old Argentine. . Hoyos then took Messi to Miami and became the director of the Academy of Inter. Now, he is the top football execution of the club – and it is not very clear how much, if anything, he knows about the Arche Roster Rules that control MLS.
Messi’s Miami – but will it work?
When Messi returned to 2023, Miami’s football operations were run by Sports Director Chris Henderson. An MLS Lifer Henderson built the roster, which in 2024, won as many times without Messi, as with him. He navigated specially firm rules; He maneuits under the salary cap; He is widely welcomed in the League Circle as a architect of the shield winners of supporters.
For rewarding him, the middle, Inter, Inter, hired Sanllehí above him.
And so, by the end of 2024, Henderson left for Atlanta United; Director of Scouting and Recruitment, his former number 2, Mark Dispressor jumped into San Diego.
In his absence, Inter has taken back into familiar wells. It replaced outgoing Diego Gomez, Faundo Persia, Leonardo Campana and Mattis Roja with a new batch of South American talent. Argentina will complement forward Tedo Olende Messi and Luis Surez; Venezuela’s midfielder Telasco Segovia should be well paired with Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo; Argentina Fullback Gonzalo Lujan and Uruguayan Center Back Maxi Falcon could sideline a driving defense. This, once again, looks like the strongest roster in MLS.
But, of course, there is no guarantee that the new signatures will be out like last year.
There is uncertainty, which will actually, the next sign.
And there are all kinds of questions about the ability of Mascherano to handle this job, his first as a coach in a Pro club.
There are questions about their ability to manage four players equally, who were among their best friends for eight years. “I have a relationship with Leo, I have never denied and will never be done,” Masterano accepted in December. He is also “very close” with Busquets, Suarez and Jourdi Alba, and “I am not going to walk in the locker room and are not their friends,” he said. What he tries to do is “separate my work from my friendship,” while having a relationship with all a dozen players, whose name he probably never heard four months ago.
And there are questions about the coach’s ability. Masterano is well aware. “I have no doubt that I can do this work,” he said. “But in the end, no matter what I say, the results and weather and those who see, what would happen as an opinion whether skeptics were right or wrong.”
Doubt, however, will not start and stop with it. It will extend to Messi, whose fingers are now in the entire club. This will extend to their influence, which, completely, has been highly positive … but is it spread far enough?
Only time will tell. Or, perhaps, Messi’s magical legs will irreplace their GM abilities.
Eventually, he earned his influence. He would eventually be a difference minority owner. He essentially as per his choice to the club, whenever and although he wants.