MLS talking points
Phil Neville’s appointment as Inter Miami head coach made headlines on one side of the Atlantic, but in the Americas, the biggest move is that of another former Manchester United player, Gabriel Heinze.
The highly-rated Argentine coach is tasked with restoring Atlanta United’s attacking verve, reinstalling the style of the club’s early years under former Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino, which saw them lift the MLS Cup in 2018.
A US Open Cup and Campeones Cup followed under Frank de Boer in 2019 after Martino left to manage Mexico, but the style went stale. In 2020, so did the results, and De Boer departed.
Heinze arrives with a glowing reputation from his time in Argentina as coach of Velez Sarsfield. Like Martino, he is heavily influenced by Marcelo Bielsa, and this has Atlanta supporters keenly anticipating the new season.