(Reuters) – Co-owner David Beckham said Inter Miami have to "let things settle down" before hiring a head coach after the sudden, early-season departure of Javier Mascherano on Tuesday.
Mascherano stepped down due to what he called personal reasons in a statement, with ESPN reporting that he made the decision over the weekend after a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls.
Sporting director Guillermo Hoyos took over as interim manager for the Herons (3-1-3, 12 points), who return to action on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City, Colo.
Beckham said on CBS Sports that losing Mascherano at this time was "a difficult one." Mascherano, 41, was hired as the club's coach on Nov. 26, 2024. He guided the Lionel Messi-led squad to an MLS Cup title in 2025.
"He came off the back of last season by winning our first championship," Beckham said. "He's an amazing person, a great coach, the players loved him, but obviously, these things happen in football clubs and we have to move on. We have to find a new coach at some point. But at the moment, we have to let things settle down. But, like I said, with owning a team, there are always challenges."
Mascherano replaced Gerardo "Tata" Martino. Inter Miami also reached the Leagues Cup final and CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal last year.
This was the first club coaching job for Mascherano, who began coaching Argentina's youth national teams in 2021. His squads reached the Round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina and the quarterfinals of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Inter Miami's chief soccer officer Alberto Marrero will assume sporting director duties for Hoyos.