MLS champion Inter Miami has gone five games without a win. Now, Lionel Messi’s team is getting a new coach: Kily Gonzalez is set to lead the Beckham-owned club back to winning ways.
Cristian Alberto “Kily” Gonzalez is not only Argentine, like Lionel Messi, but was also born in Rosario, just like the 2018 World Cup champion. Unlike Messi, however, he did not start his career with Newell’s Old Boys, but with Rosario Central.
Now the two are joining forces: As Inter Miami announced early Friday morning (CEST), Kily Gonzalez will become the new head coach of the club founded by David Beckham. The 52-year-old succeeds Guillermo Hoyos, who had been serving as interim head coach of the reigning MLS champions—in his capacity as sporting director—since Javier Mascherano’s resignation in April of this year.
Under Hoyos—who, like Messi and Gonzalez, is Argentine—Inter has recently fallen into a slump, however. Miami has gone five league games without a win, suffering four losses during that stretch. Among them was a crushing 1–4 defeat to Nashville SC, the current leader of the Western Conference.
Champions in Spain and Italy
Now Gonzalez is tasked with getting Inter back on track. The 52-year-old was feared during his playing career as a tenacious midfielder; he celebrated his greatest successes during his time with Valencia CF (1999–2003) and Inter Milan (2003–2006). He won both the Spanish and Italian championships, and with the Nerazzurri, he triumphed twice in the Coppa Italia. He played for the Argentine national team at the 2002 World Cup and won an Olympic gold medal in 2004.
When Gonzalez—who has only coached in his home country so far—will take office depends on whether he is granted a work permit. Until then, Hoyos will remain in charge. Miami will host Club de Foot Montreal on the upcoming 23rd matchday of the MLS in the early hours of Sunday morning. However, Hoyos will certainly not be able to take his place on the bench for that game: Just last Thursday, the 63-year-old received a one-game suspension and a fine because his team had returned late from halftime on multiple occasions.