Phil Neville has been sacked as manager of Inter Miami – which is co-owned by his former Manchester United and England teammate, David Beckham.
It comes after the football club’s 1-0 defeat to New York Red Bulls – the team’s fourth successive loss – which left them bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference in the US.
Neville, who was appointed in January 2021 after his resignation as England Women boss, has paid the price for a poor run of form.
‘When we appointed Phil we knew he would give Inter Miami his all and I have watched him work incredibly hard and with real commitment towards the ambitions we set out for the club,’ co-owner David Beckham said in a statement.
‘He and his family embraced Miami and he has devoted himself to the drive to bring success to the city and to our fans. Phil has made a real contribution to the culture of our club with his qualities as a leader and knowledge as a coach.
‘Sometimes in this game we have to make the toughest decisions and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change. I want to personally thank Phil for his hard work, his passion for our Club and for his integrity as a person.’
Neville also made a statement, saying, ‘I would like to thank the Inter Miami CF ownership group for their trust and making me a part of this project; the players and staff for their impressive commitment, dedication and hard work; and the fans for their unwavering support for the Club since day one.
‘I’m grateful to have played a part in the growth of this Club and wish Inter Miami CF all the best in the future.’
Early reports suggest that Tata Martino is an early frontrunner for the job. Martino, a former manager at Atlanta United and Barcelona, is an ex-coach of Lionel Messi – who has been linked with the club.
Martino, who was sacked after a poor showing with Mexico in the 2022 World Cup, has made it clear that he enjoys MLS and would be interested in a return.
‘MLS is my weakness,’ Martino said. ‘I was part of an extraordinary project with Atlanta United that had a clear direction, a lot of communication, and similar objectives that were established very quickly and executed.
‘After coaching in MLS, I became attracted to it. I like the league. The possibility of returning to MLS is always there.’
