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Inter Miami have made the difficult decision to part ways with Guillermo Hoyos, a trusted confidant of Lionel Messi's, following a five-game winless stretch across MLS and Leagues Cup competition.
Hoyos, whose bond with the Herons' Argentine icon stretches back to Messi's formative years at Barcelona, was handed the club's interim head coach role in April. The 62-year-old got off to a strong start, claiming victory in six of his first eight games, but Miami's form has nosedived since the World Cup break.
Messi has continued to shine despite difficult personal circumstances, with the recent death of his father representing a loss far more devastating than the defeat suffered against 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 wrote in a heartfelt statement, referring to Jorge.
The 39-year-old's footballing future remains uncertain, particularly now that a long-standing ally, regarded as a "father figure," is no longer in the dugout in South Florida. The departure of Hoyos appears to be the right move, and his replacement is, naturally, someone well known to Messi.
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 launched his senior playing career in 1993 with hometown club Rosario Central, before making the move to Europe following a short stint at Boca Juniors.
Kily initially joined Zaragoza, then transferred to Valencia in 1999. While his three seasons with the former proved fruitful, it was with Los Che that the Argentine rubbed shoulders with Europe's finest.
González swiftly became a crowd favorite at the Mestalla, excelling in a selfless wide midfield role under Héctor Cúper. Valencia praised his "personality, grit and determination," though González's wing play carried an added brilliance of its own.
He earned a place in UEFA's Team of the Year for 2001, alongside luminaries such as David Beckham, Patrick Vieira, Zinédine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Valencia reached consecutive Champions League finals under Cúper, only to suffer heartbreak in both. González was a fixture on the left flank, amassing 29 appearances across the two campaigns.
Departing as a cult hero in 2003, González went on to spend three more years with Inter Milan before returning to Argentina to wind down his playing days.
Lionel Messi's Former Teammate
Like his new manager, Messi is a native of Rosario, and the former Valencia and Inter Milan midfielder was among those who welcomed the 39-year-old and Ángel Di Maria back to the city following their 2022 World Cup triumph.
Their playing careers did intersect, with both men featuring in Argentina's 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. This period marked the twilight of González's international career, while Messi's rise to global stardom was still in its earliest stages.
Messi appeared in the final two of González's 56 international caps, though the duo shared the pitch on just one occasion — a 2–0 win over Peru in October 2005. In Messi's fourth cap, a 1–0 loss to Uruguay, he came on as a substitute for González in the second half.
Short Managerial Career
González took his time before stepping into management after retiring from playing with Rosario in 2011. Fittingly, his first coaching role came at his boyhood club, a tenure that lasted just under two years, from July 2020 to March 2022.
The 52-year-old's spell there ended with a 36.76% win rate, the best of his modest managerial career so far. González then took charge of Unión for 78 matches, winning only 25, and his most recent stint with Platense proved even less successful.
He was relieved of his duties after just 14 games, having managed only two wins.
On the whole, his underwhelming coaching record in Argentina has prompted widespread skepticism over whether he is the right person to steer Miami through a turbulent spell and into the MLS Cup playoffs.