Struggling Inter Miami are finalizing hire of Kily González as new head coach

Kily González has managed three clubs since retiring as a player, all in Argentina. Photograph: Luciano Bisbal/Getty Images Inter Miami are finalizing the hire of former Argentina international Cristian “Kily” González as the club’s new head coach, according to three sources familiar with negotiations. César Luis Merlo was first to report the news. The hiring will spell the end of interim manager Guillermo Hoyos’ time in charge of the South Florida club. In fact, he may have already coached his last game; MLS announced on Thursday that Hoyos had been suspended for one game for the club’s “repeated violations” of the late kickoff policy. (Inter Miami have become known throughout the league for delaying their return from half-time.) Hoyos took over after head coach Javier Mascherano resigned for personal reasons on 14 April, several weeks after the club crashed out of the Concacaf Champions Cup on aggregate to Nashville SC in the last 16. Hoyos was previously an assistant coach with the club after being initially hired as the head of methodology for the club’s academy. It is not yet known if he will remain with the club after his stint as interim manager. Related: Double-elimination, reseeding and 20 teams: MLS plans potential overhaul of playoffs Inter Miami have been in bad form since returning from MLS’s World Cup break, winning three times in nine games, with the most recent victory coming on 5 August in the Leagues Cup against Atlético San Luis. The Herons were eliminated from that competition in the group stage on 12 August with a 3-2 loss to León, which was followed by a 4-1 drubbing in MLS league play at the hands of Nashville SC. They are now riding a five-match winless run, with the final four of those results coming with Lionel Messi on the field, having returned after the death of his father, Jorge . Hoyos has a long history with Messi. He is credited by some with discovering the player as coach of a Barcelona youth squad in the early 2000s. González does not have nearly the same level of direct history with Messi, but he does hail from Rosario, Messi’s home town. Their playing careers overlapped, but only barely: the final two of González’s 56 appearances with Argentina came in World Cup 2006 qualifiers against Uruguay and Peru in 2005; Messi also played in those games, earning his third and fourth caps. The two only shared the field in the first game against Peru; against Uruguay, Messi came on as a sub for González in the second half. Since moving into management, González has taken charge of Argentine clubs Rosario Central from 2020 to 2022, Unión from 2023 to 2025 and most recently Platense for 14 games last year. He has lost more games than he has won at every stop, and owns a career win percentage of 32.5%. Inter Miami currently trail Nashville by 10 points in the Eastern Conference standings, sitting third in the Supporters’ Shield table behind the Tennessee side and the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps. The club won MLS Cup last season and were favorites to defend their title this year, particularly after adding wide defender Sergio Reguilón, 2025 MLS goalkeeper of the year Dayne St Clair, Monterrey striker Germán Berterame and the post-World Cup addition of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.