Inter Miami named ‘Kily’ González as new coach

Cristian ‘Kily’ González has been named the new Inter Miami coach, replacing Guillermo Hoyos, the club announced Thursday.

The Argentine coach takes over the MLS side amid an ongoing five-match winless streak, with the club recording four losses and one draw across all competitions, including the Leagues Cup and MLS regular season.

“González will officially assume his duties once he receives the corresponding work permits. Guillermo Hoyos will provisionally continue in charge of the team until the arrival of the new head coach and his coaching staff,” Inter Miami confirmed in a press release.

González previously served as head coach at Argentine clubs Rosario Central, Unión (Santa Fe) and Platense.

Inter Miami sits in second place in the Eastern Conference standings with 39 points in 21 games.

González started his playing career with Rosario Central in 1993 before moving to Europe three years later, where he played for LaLiga‘s Valencia and Zaragoza, and Serie A‘s Inter Milan.

His club career earned him a spot on the Argentina national team, where he played alongside current Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi in 2005. González and Messi were teammates for two World Cup qualifiers that year, playing against Peru and Uruguay.

Hoyos initially took over as interim manager when he replaced Javier Mascherano last April, moving over from his role as Inter Miami’s sporting director. He served on an interim basis before the team’s front office named him the permanent manager following the World Cup.

Hoyos kicked off his tenure with a 6-1-1 record, securing 19 out of 24 available points as the team scored 26 goals in eight matches. He recorded the most successful start for an Inter Miami coach through eight matches since the team debuted in MLS in 2020.

“Inter Miami would like to especially highlight and thank Hoyos for his commitment and full dedication to the Club, demonstrated by his willingness to assume the role during this period, which began last April,” the team said.

Also on Thursday, Inter Miami accelerated talks with Palmeiras, and the two clubs are close to an agreement that would send 19-year-old attacking midfielder Riquelme Fillipi to Miami, sources told ESPN Brasil.

The deal is for 60% of the player’s rights for a fee ranging between $5.5 million and $6 million, sources added.