Inter Miami Have a New Head Coach—There’s Three Things You Need to Know About Him
Inter Miami have taken the tough decision to move on from Guillermo Hoyos, a close ally of Lionel Messi’s, amid a five-match winless run across MLS and Leagues Cup play.
Hoyos, whose relationship with the Herons’ Argentinian superstar dates back to his days as a Barcelona youngster, was appointed the franchise’s interim boss in April. The 62-year-old started out hot, winning six of his opening eight matches, but Miami have slumped post-World Cup.
Messi has continued to dazzle in trying circumstances, with the recent passing of his father meaning he suffered a loss far more painful than the one inflicted by Spain at MetLife Stadium on July 19. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you; I don’t know how to carry on,” he said in a statement, referring to Jorge.
The 39-year-old’s future in the sport is up in the air, especially now that a long-time ally, described as a "father figure", is no longer on the touchline in South Florida. Moving on from Hoyos seems like the right call, and his successor is, of course, someone Messi is familiar with.
Here are three things to know about Inter Miami’s new head coach: Cristian ’Kily’ González.
Named in UEFA’s Team of the Year
The Rosario-born 52-year-old started his senior playing career in 1993 with local team Rosario Central, but soon made his way to Europe after a brief spell at Boca Juniors.
Kiky first landed with Zaragoza, then made his way to Valencia in 1999. While his three years with the former were prosperous, it was with Los Che where the Argentine broke bread with the continent’s elite.
González quickly became a fan favorite at the Mestalla, playing a selfless wide midfielder role for Héctor Cúper’s side. Valencia lauded his "personality, grit and determination", but there was an extra sparkle to González’s wing play, too.
He was named in UEFA’s Team of the Year for 2001, alongside the likes of David Beckham, Patrick Vieira, Zinédine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Valencia reached back-to-back Champions League finals on Cúper’s watch, but cruelly lost both. González was a mainstay down the left, recording 29 appearances across the two competitions.
Departing as a cult hero in 2003, González spent another three years with Inter Milan before seeing out the rest of his playing career back home.I
Lionel Messi’s Former Teammate
Like his new manager, Messi hails from Rosario and the former Valencia and Inter Milan midfielder greeted the 39-year-old and Ángel Di Maria when they returned to the city after winning the 2022 World Cup.
Their playing careers did overlap, and they were involved in qualification for the 2006 World Cup together. This was when González’s time in the sun was drawing to a close, and Messi’s ascent to greatness was merely in its embryonic phase.
Messi played in the final two of González’s 56 caps for Argentina, but the pair shared the field just once—a 2–0 victory against Peru in October 2005. In Messi’s fourth cap, a 1–0 defeat to Uruguay, he replaced González in the second half.
Short Managerial Career
It took González a while to venture into management after ending his playing career with Rosario in 2011. Unsurprisingly, his first job was with his boyhood club, which lasted a little under two years, from July 2020 to March 2022.
The 52-year-old’s tenure ended with a 36.76 win percentage, the strongest of his brief managerial career to date. González subsequently led Unión for 78 matches, winning just 25, and his last role with Platense was particularly unsuccessful.
He was out of the job after 14 games, having overseen just two victories.
Overall, his uninspiring managerial record back home has led many to question whether he’s the man to lead Miami through a difficult period and into the MLS Cup playoffs.
