Potential candidates to replace former Inter Miami coach Tata Martino

Lionel Messi will have a new coach at his club from next season onwards; as Inter Miami boss Gerardo 'Tata' Martino has left his position as the head coach on 20 November 2024. Martino has resigned due to some personal reasons. 

Martino leaves after winning the MLS Supporters' Shield with a record 74 points tally and crashing out of the MLS Cup play-offs in November 2024. the 62-year-old Argentinian coach also won the Leagues Cup with Miami last year.

🚨 Tata Martino’s Record as Inter Miami Coach:

🏟️ Games: 67
✅ Wins: 38
❌ Losses: 16
🤝 Draws: 13
📊 Points per game: 1.90

🏆 Leagues Cup Champion
🛡️ Supporter’s Shield Winner
📈 MLS All-Time Points Record pic.twitter.com/e2RLBXwUuC

— Inter Miami News Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) November 19, 2024

However, the Major League Soccer outfit will be looking for a new coach as Martino's heir at Miami. Inter Miami has entered the expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and the star-studded group will need a high-profile coach to get them to the furthest in the competition. 

Read Also | Teams qualified for FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Messi's Inter Miami enters the tournament

Some great profiles have already emerged as potential candidates to be the next coach of Inter Miami. Sportzpoint explores the options that can be suitable for The Herons. 

Xavi

According to the Miami Herald, former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Xavi has emerged as an option to be the head coach of Inter Miami.

Xavi Hernandez has emerged as the top candidate to replace Tata Martino as Inter Miami’s head coach, according to reports! 🔥🦩

𝑨 𝑹𝑬𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑴𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑰 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑪𝑶.? ✨#LionelMessi #Xavi #InterMiami pic.twitter.com/l9WGOoLImw

— Sportskeeda Football (@skworldfootball) November 20, 2024

The former teammate of Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona can be reunited in Miami as his name has started to surface as one of the top candidates to take up the Miami job. Xavi's former teammates such as Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are all part of the Miami squad, and that is why Xavi has emerged as the most reasonable option for The Herons. 

Xavi has not taken any other managerial job since he left his position as head coach at FC Barcelona in June 2024. He has won the LaLiga title and Supercopa de Espana in the 2022-23 season with Barca and also won seven trophies during his first tenure as a head coach for Qatar's Al-Sadd club.

Javier Mascherano

According to the Miami Herald, former Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano has emerged as another top choice for the MLS outfit.

🚨 Xavi and Javier Mascherano have emerged as options for head coach at Inter Miami! 👔🇺🇸

Both are former teammates of Leo Messi. 👀

(Source: @MiamiHerald) pic.twitter.com/7ofnJsZ0K9

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 20, 2024

Javier Mascherano has emerged as another top choice to sit at the Inter Miami dugout. The former Argentine midfielder who also played with Messi, Busquets, Alba, and Suarez at FC Barcelona was also a close teammate of Lionel Messi in the Argentina national team during his time.

However, Mascherano is currently the manager of the Argentina U-20 and U-23 team. It can be a risky choice considering he has no managerial experience in club football so far and AFA may not permit his departure leaving the national age-group teams. Mascherano's name has emerged but it is highly unlikely considering the scenario and all the possibilities. 

Zinedine Zidane 

Zinedine Zidane has close ties with his former Real Madrid teammate David Beckham, who is the co-owner of Inter Miami as well. Daily Mirror reported back in 2018 that Beckham had held preliminary talks with the French legend to manage the newly established Inter Miami, 

We have seen Messi, Beckham, and Zidane spending time together, so the 3-time UCL winning coach can be a very realistic option to be Miami's next coach. It was also reported in 2021 that Zidane's son, Enzo Zidane was on trial with Inter Miami. 

💥Cette photo légendaire de : Messi. Beckham. Zidane. 🇦🇷 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/gMk82G4RkU

— INTER MIAMI FR (@IntermiamiFR_) February 24, 2024

Zidane has been a free agent since he decided to leave Real Madrid in 2021 after his second stint at the Spanish club. He has previously been linked with the France national football team's head coach job but no progress was made there. 

However, Zidane has managed the 3-times Champions League-winning Real Madrid squad filled with great figures and talents; which proves his immense man-management quality. It will be interesting to see if Zidane comes together with Messi and Beckham again, and this time to produce something great at Miami. 

Jim Curtin 

Jim Curtin may seem like an odd name in the list of some familiar stars of the game but the 45-year-old manager has proved himself as one of the best coaches in MLS' history. 

It was a heavily unexpected move by MLS side Philadelphia Union to part ways with Jim Curtin who was their head coach for 10 long years as he left his position on 7 November 2024. Curtin stayed on the Philadelphia Union's touchline for 11 seasons and won them the MLS Supporters' Shield in the 2019-20 season. 

Ya know who's cool?
This guy.

Just droppin' some Jim Curtin Appreciation on your timeline 🐍 #DOOP pic.twitter.com/1BJS44J1W5

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 31, 2020

Union has been one of the lowest-spending teams in the MLS but Curtin still managed to have a 42% winning rate after 420 games in charge over 10 years. He was potentially named as the USMNT assistant coach previously in 2023 but now he can be a very realistic option for the Miami job.