Inter Miami sacks their current football operations head for a 'Messi candidate'

Inter Miami has made a move by removing president of football operations Raul Sanllehi from all sporting decisions, a source within the club confirmed to The Athletic on Monday. This source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation, emphasised the importance of this change.

Inter Miami 'Messified'

In what can be considered a strategic shift, Sanllehi’s responsibilities have been handed over to Guillermo Hoyos, the club’s academy director. Hoyos, a trusted confidant and former academy coach of Lionel Messi, is now set to take the lead in sporting operations.

The recent development is based on a report indicating that Sanllehi boarded a players- and coaches-only bus following Miami’s match against Club America in Las Vegas. This encounter reportedly led to a discussion with Messi, as noted in Bogert’s report. 

A club source, who is well-informed about the situation but restricted from speaking due to its sensitive nature, confirmed the incident. 

Inter Miami refrained from commenting on the request made Monday evening. However, according to Bogert’s report, the club firmly stated that Sallehi’s reassignment was not a result of the recent exchange; instead, it was a pre-planned decision made in conjunction with the closing of the transfer window at the end of January.

Hoyos’ connection with Messi dates back to his time training Barcelona’s U-18 squad from 2000 to 2003, during which he famously compared Messi to Maradona. Earlier, Messi referred to Hoyos as his football godfather Before his tenure in Miami, Hoyos was involved in coaching with Greece, Colombia, Argentina, and the United States.

Inter Miami's coach, Javier Mascherano, is a former teammate of Messi. He stepped in following the departure of Tata Martino, who helped the team to a Supporters’ Shield title. The strategic move was heavily influenced by Messi, with Miami owner Jorge Mas confirming that the Argentine legend played a pivotal role in the decision to hire Mascherano.