Beckham reportedly interested in Neville as coach
Diego Alonso may still be Inter Miami CF’s coach, but that reportedly hasn’t stopped the club from inquiring about other options for the position.
David Beckham, the club’s co- owner and president of soccer operations, has talked with former Manchester United teammate Phil Neville about coaching at Inter Miami, according to multiple media outlets — including ESPN and Sky Sports News in the United Kingdom.
Neville, 43, has been the head coach of England’s women’s national soccer team since 2018, but he’s expected to leave the role when his contract expires in July. Current Netherlands women’s national soccer team coach Sarina Wiegman will take over for Neville in September after the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Beckham and Neville were teammates at Manchester United from 1994- 2003 before Beckham joined Real Madrid. They were also teammates on England’s men’s national team and are both co- owners of English Football League Two — the fourth tier of the
English football league system — club Salford City along with other former Manchester United players.
Inter Miami didn’t respond when reached for comment about the reports via a club spokesperson.
Alonso is still Inter Miami’s coach, but his status with the club
for 2021 isn’t known.
The 45- year- old Uruguayan thought he was being fired last month after an end- of- season meeting with club ownership, with Alonso reportedly telling members of the club that he believed he wouldn’t be the team’s coach anymore. But Inter Miami later confirmed via a spokesperson that the situation was a “miscommunication” and that Alonso remains the team’s coach.
Ignacio Ruglio, president of Uruguayan soccer club Penarol, expressed interest in hiring Alonso as the team’s coach before Mauricio Larriera filled the coaching vacancy.
Inter Miami finished its first season in Major League Soccer with a 7- 13- 3 record ( 10th place in the 14- team Eastern Conference), made the MLS Cup playoffs in an expanded postseason format and was eliminated by fellow expansion team Nashville SC on Nov. 20 in the playoffs’ play- in round.
Club ownership and management haven’t been made available for comment since the end of the season.
Paul McDonough, Inter Miami’s sporting director and COO, stepped down after the season and has been helping the club with the front- office transition.
The Athletic reported Wednesday that McDonough will return to Atlanta United FC, where he served as the club’s vice president of soccer operations from January 2016 through August 2018. The report said he is expected to have “a similar role with the club.”
Robles retires
Former Inter Miami captain/ goalkeeper Luis Robles announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon.
After starting his professional career in Germany in 2007 with Kaiserslautern and playing for the New York Red Bulls from 2012- 19, Robles signed with Inter Miami in December 2019 and was named its inaugural captain in February.
He started the first 15 matches — recording two clean sheets — before sustaining a season- ending arm injury and having his option with Inter Miami for 2021 declined.
“My career is full of memories and great stories yet the thing that sticks out the most is the people whom I’ve met along the way,” Robles said in an Instagram post. “From teammates who put up with me to coaches who challenged me to fans who loved or hated me it’s been so much fun.”
Robles was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2015 and won the Supporters’ Shield with the Red Bulls in 2013, 2015 and 2018. He made an MLS- record 183 consecutive starts from 2012 through 2018.