FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Javier Mascherano heard the criticism. As a first-time club manager, he understood it. But none of that feels important now.
There was no doubt that his relationship with Inter Miami CF's superstar players helped him get hired in November 2024 as Tata Martino's replacement. After all, his previous managerial experience was only at the youth national team level – and his Argentina side got eliminated at the quarterfinal stage of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
But it turned out the first-time coach was the right man for the job. He exuberantly celebrated Inter Miami’s three goals in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC in MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi, guiding the club to their first league title in his first season.
“You have to understand that, a lot of times, you have to know how to take criticism,” Mascherano said at a post-game news conference during which his players could be heard singing and cheering in the neighboring locker room.
“I didn’t think they were illogical because at the end of the day, the club had bet on a manager who had no type of experience at the club level. I always said it hadn’t gone relatively well for me when it came to results in the national team, other than that I believed in the process and the way we had of working.
“But not even then did I take those criticisms personally. I tried to understand why and be constructive. I’ll take the praise today in the same way. It doesn’t change me all that much.”
League champions
More tributes will be coming. More praise will be directed Mascherano's way. Since Inter Miami joined MLS in 2020, high-end managers have come to South Florida and left without lifting the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
But Mascherano’s message has been consistent all year. Unsurprisingly, the longtime FC Barcelona and Argentina midfielder has noted that success on the field comes down much more to how Lionel Messi & Co. perform than how he sets things up.
“I’ve said all year that soccer is about the players. If there’s someone responsible for these achievements, it’s them,” the 41-year-old said. “Clearly, we’ve had influence, knowing how to come alongside them.”
Mascherano had a mental list ready of games that hurt players over the course of the year, matches in which he and his staff needed to understand how to boost the players’ mental state and also make tactical tweaks: A Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal series defeat to the same Whitecaps team Miami met on Saturday, the Leagues Cup final loss at Seattle Sounders FC, and a 3-0 home defeat to rivals Orlando City in the regular season.
Ultimately, Mascherano and his coaching staff found the answers to keep the team pushing forward and believing they could celebrate MLS's biggest prize with their fans at Chase Stadium.
“We’ve had to make decisions in key moments, sometimes really difficult ones, because within those decisions, a lot of times you have to prioritize reason and not your heart. It’s never easy to put your head ahead of your heart, but we knew it was the best thing, perhaps, for the team,” he said.
“That said, I’m happy for them. Happy above all to have convinced them that we could do it – especially in the difficult moments."
New challenges
Uncertain moments are coming for Miami, at least in the interim.
While a trophy lift will afford Mascherano some wiggle room, he’ll be in charge of a locker room that will look different next season. Left back Jordi Alba and midfielder Sergio Busquets have played their last match in professional soccer, retiring as champions after standout careers. Veteran striker Luis Suárez didn’t feature in MLS Cup after starting for much of the season, replaced in the XI by youngster Mateo Silvetti. And Tadeo Allende's future is up in the air after his season-long loan from LaLiga side Celta de Vigo.
Expectations will not subside, nor did Mascherano stump for them, saying he wants Saturday's victory to be the jumping-off point for more titles – including the Concacaf Champions Cup, a trophy that so far has eluded Inter Miami. The Herons will also open their new stadium near Miami International Airport in April, hoping to continue giving fans memorable moments to celebrate in a beautiful new atmosphere.
For now, Mascherano will try not to worry about roster construction, working in new players, or mounting a title defense.
“Next is go on vacation tomorrow and be with my family,” Mascherano said. “It’s been 11 months of a lot of work. We played 58 official matches, plus five preseason games, traveling one place to another.
“It is what we had to do, but now it’s time to rest. One way or another, we all need it.”
Soon enough, Mascherano will be back at work, trying to make the tough decisions, to push his players in the right way and to have more moments like Saturday that saw him joyously celebrating with his players as they reached their ultimate goal.
