After being appointed as new Inter Miami coach, Cristian "Kily" Gonzalez will become the third person to coach Lionel Messi after sharing the pitch as a teammate. Lionel Messi is set for his third managerial change at Inter Miami as Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez steps into the head coaching role to succeed Guillermo Hoyos. With his arrival in South Florida, Gonzalez becomes just the third person in soccer history to have played alongside Messi before taking charge of him as a manager. On Thursday, August 27, Inter Miami announced in an official club statement that an agreement was reached to appoint Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez as the club’s new first-team head coach. While contract duration details remain undisclosed, the former Argentina international will assume his duties on the touchline once work authorization is finalized. A former international teammate, Gonzalez joins an exclusive fraternity of figures who shared the pitch with Messi before guiding him from the dugout. He joins a list that was first established by Lionel Scaloni taking over the Argentina national team, followed by Javier Mascherano during his recent managerial stint with Inter Miami. The most prominent name on the list is Mascherano, who ranks fifth all-time in matches played alongside Messi with 414 shared appearances. The defender and forward partnered extensively for Argentina’s senior team, claimed Olympic gold together at the 2008 Beijing Games, and anchored FC Barcelona’s dominant era before reuniting when Mascherano assumed Inter Miami’s head coaching position in 2025. Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez of Barcelona celebrate with the UEFA Champions League trophy. (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Scaloni initiated this trend when he took charge of the Argentina national team in 2018, eventual helping Messi capture his first major international trophies with the Albiceleste. Prior to his managerial tenure, Scaloni shared the pitch with Messi during the forward’s infamously brief 2005 international debut against Hungary, a 2006 friendly against Angola, and their final match together against Mexico at the 2006 World Cup. Finally, Kily Gonzalez shared the field with Messi while representing Argentina during 2005 World Cup qualifying, featuring alongside the young prodigy in a 2-0 win over Peru and a 1-0 loss to Uruguay, which marked Gonzalez’s final international match. While former teammates like Pablo Aimar, Walter Samuel, and Roberto Ayala have coached Messi as assistants in Argentina, the list of head coaches remains exclusive to Scaloni, Mascherano, and now Gonzalez. Messi’s performance being coached by former teammates Playing for managers who were once peers on the field highlights Messi’s remarkable career longevity, while creating a unique dynamic in the locker room. Nevertheless, the Argentine forward has consistently produced staggering individual output under former teammates, establishing high expectations for Gonzalez’s tenure in Miami. Under Scaloni’s stewardship with Argentina, Messi featured in 79 international matches, generating 60 goals and 26 assists. Beyond the individual numbers, that partnership yielded historic silver, with Messi finally capturing his maiden major international trophies, including the 2021 Copa America, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and 2024 Copa America. Mascherano assumed management of Inter Miami ahead of the 2025 campaign following Gerardo Martino’s departure, concluding his stint in April 2026. Across 57 matches under Mascherano’s direction, Messi delivered 51 goals and 25 assists for the Herons, a stretch highlighted by the franchise capturing its first MLS Cup in late 2025.
Caleb Yirenkyi has been warned that he should have picked a move to FC Porto over joining Coventry City this summer. The post ‘Far Better’ – Coventry City New Boy Warned Sky Blues Move Wasn’t Best By Former NT Director appeared first on Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles.
Leaving the door open for a return after he retires, Luka Modric revealed that Jose Mourinho was the "most important factor" for him to arrive to Real Madrid. Luka Modric established himself as one of the most influential midfielders in soccer history during his decorated tenure at Real Madrid, leaving a standard that the club has found difficult to replicate. While leaving the door open for a post-retirement return to the Bernabeu, Modric revealed that Jose Mourinho was the “most important factor” in bringing him to the Spanish capital. Following four standout seasons at Tottenham Hotspur where he consolidated his status among Europe’s elite orchestrators, Modric joined Real Madrid in 2012 for a €35 million ($40.6 million USD) fee. Initially, the transfer drew skepticism from critics due to the Croatian’s lower public profile, but as he locked down a starting role, he evolved into a club legend, a trajectory he insists would have been impossible without Mourinho’s intervention. In an interview with Diario Marca, when asked who supporters should credit for his arrival at Real Madrid, Modric singled out the Portuguese manager’s persistence: “The club in general, but I think Mourinho was the most important factor in my arrival, because he did everything, everything in his power so that I would be the signing of that summer.“ Modric elaborated on the manager’s pivotal role in pushing the deal over the finish line. “Madrid brought in (Michael) Essien on loan and only me as a signing. The negotiation with Tottenham was not easy. It was hard and long. And if Mourinho had not been so insistent, maybe Madrid would have withdrawn from the negotiation. But he was insistent and he wanted me. That is why I think he was the most important,” he added. Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho talks to Luka Modric. (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) Modric also acknowledged the role of club president Florentino Perez and expressed deep affection for him, while maintaining that “Mourinho was the first, and I will always be grateful for that treatment, for that affection from day one.” At the time, Mourinho was entering his third season at the helm of Real Madrid having already secured three trophies. However, the 2012-13 campaign proved to be Mourinho’s final year in Madrid after ending without a major trophy and falling in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, leaving Modric wishing for more time under his guidance. “The only pity was that I didn’t play under him for more than a year. But well, that’s life. I learned a lot in that year with him, but I would have liked to play for him for a longer time,” the Croatian midfielder noted. Modric to return to Madrid Currently under contract through June 2027 with AC Milan, Modric laughed off the idea of a playing return to Real Madrid under Mourinho’s current tenure, noting that “it’s too late now.” However, he made clear that he intends to settle in the Spanish capital after his playing days, with an eventual executive or administrative role at Real Madrid topping his list of desires. When asked about returning to the club after hanging up his boots, Modric openly shared his ambitions: “I hope so. I would like to. To be honest, I don’t need to hide it. Madrid is my home and of course one day I would like to return. But we will see how and in what role, if that happens.“ The veteran midfielder emphasized that if he eventually returns, he wants to make a meaningful impact rather than relying on his legacy, adopting a mindset to “work not in Real Madrid, but for Real Madrid.” He echoed Mourinho’s philosophy that any future role should focus on making the club even bigger. Regarding his long-term personal plans, Modric remains committed to returning to Spain, even if his exact post-career path remains undecided. “My intention is to return to Madrid and live there, but then you know how things go. You can never say anything with certainty. But hopefully, hopefully it happens,” he concluded.
Argentina's first matches since Lionel Messi's national team retirement are reportedly set to be played entirely on home soil. Argentina’s national team is set to play its first matches since Lionel Messi‘s retirement from international duty entirely on home soil, according to TyC Sports. The AFA is finalizing plans for the upcoming FIFA window, running from September 21 to October 6, with the intention of keeping all fixtures within the country for the first time since the squad’s World Cup run. The shift comes after earlier plans for a proposed friendly against China collapsed. Chinese organizers had reportedly insisted on guarantees regarding Messi’s participation, and once he confirmed his retirement, negotiations between the two parties fell apart entirely. With the China fixture scrapped, Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Rosario have emerged as the leading candidates to host the two or three friendlies under consideration, with El Monumental and La Bombonera among the primary venues being weighed for the capital, alongside a third match expected in an interior province. The matches will carry extra significance as the first competitive action for Lionel Scaloni’s side since the squad’s runner-up finish at the 2026 World Cup, and the first without Messi in the squad following his August 31 retirement announcement. Gracias eternas, Leo. Te vamos a amar hasta el final de nuestros días 🩵🤍🩵 pic.twitter.com/7VVV2doDZP— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) August 31, 2026 Other possible absences alongside Messi The window also arrives amid broader uncertainty over the future of several veterans from Argentina‘s golden generation. Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez hinted at a possible exit after the World Cup final, writing on social media that “there’s still a lot to reflect on, and to see how things move forward and whether it’s time to step aside”. Leandro Paredes similarly left the door open to a departure, saying “it’s going to be difficult to continue,” while Nicolas Tagliafico has already confirmed the World Cup was his final tournament with the national team. With Messi, Tagliafico and possibly other key figures no longer part of the setup, the upcoming friendlies are shaping up as the clearest signal yet of the transition Scaloni’s squad is entering.
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