Following a shocking exit from the playoffs in the first round to Atlanta United, changes could already be beginning to happen at Inter Miami as manager Tata Martino will be departing the club after only 1.5 seasons in charge for personal reasons, according to Tom Bogert. Coming in alongside Lionel Messi, Martino led Inter Miami to their first trophy in club history winning the 2023 Leagues Cup and also oversaw a side that won the Supporters' Shield and set a new MLS points record with 74 points during this season.
But it was still a disappointment to fall to Atlanta United after what was a strong season for the Herons. While they were able to manage playing without Messi at times, getting knocked out of the Leagues Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup was unexpected with Miami falling flat in knockout competitions.
Wholesale changes could come to the roster but first, they'll have to determine who will lead the club moving forward. When considering a new coach, some factors that could come into play are their familiarity with Messi, and the ability to manage stars and develop youth.
One early contender who checks those boxes is Xavi Hernandez. Overlapping with Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez at Barcelona, the free agent manager has also won La Liga and given opportunities to young players. He'd be an ambitious appointment for the Herons. but if anyone can get a manager in like that, it's them with all of the prior connections.
Despite Miami's season just ending, they'll need to bring in a new coach quickly because time isn't on their side. Roster decisions for who they will be retaining and releasing are due by Nov. 27 and in February of 2025, a new season will be underway. Spending an extensive time on a search will put the new coach behind in making sure that the roster is built in their image.
Commitments are made to the core of Messi and Busquets but Suarez is out of contract at the end of the season and Alba has a club option for next season. The list of players either out of contract or on options is a long one while defenders Nicolas Freire and Marcelo Weigandt are both on loan. Considering the performance of the defense, those would be easy players to allow to return to their parent clubs but that doesn't ease the strain on Miami's payroll.
Being able to bring young players along on a budget is critical for success navigating the salary cap in MLS even with more flexibility coming in terms of roster rules. The path to succeed requires maximizing every spot available and while Miami did that in some ways this season, focusing only on the attack and midfield while being unbalanced in key areas.
When injuries hit, that lack of balance is one of the reasons why Miami struggled in knockout tournaments. Without Busquets in the playoffs, Miami struggled and under a new coach, they'll need to ensure that they're able to perform without their stars as well as with them.
If the Herons opt to go a different route that Xavi, there are some other potential options such as Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry but almost anyone could be attainable for this team. It's unexpected that the Herons need to bring in a manager but it will also provide a chance to improve on a season during which they already set records, a dangerous thing for MLS.