Former FC Barcelona and Liverpool star Javier Mascherano is set to take over at Inter Miami. The Herons confirmed El Jefecito, as he’s affectionately known, as their new head coach on Tuesday, with a contract running until 2027. But what can we expect from Mascherano’s Inter? Could he be the one to finally guide Inter Miami to its league’s greatest prize, the Major League Soccer Cup?

Mascherano will replace Gerardo Martino, a man who also has ties to Argentina’s men’s national team and Barcelona. The former Newell’s coach led the Herons to an MLS Supporter’s Shield crowning as the best regular-season team but resigned following Atlanta United’s MLS Cup elimination on November 9. 

The Cup, played in a playoff format similar to other U.S. leagues like the NBA or NFL, is the ultimate prize for MLS teams. 

That could’ve been the main consideration for Inter Miami’s leadership when choosing Mascherano as their new head coach. After a very successful career as a staunch defensive midfielder and center-back, El Jefecito knows the importance of a solid defense for winning titles.

“A league is won by the team that picks up the most points, but in knockout competitions, the main focus is on the defensive set-up, be it in a low or a high block. You must have your own style,” he told FIFA in a 2022 interview.

However, that’s not to say he’s a defensive coach á la José Mourinho or Fabio Capello. Having played for FC Barcelona between 2010 and ‘18, he was influenced by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique and admires the Blaugrana style of possession football.

“I try to be more like Luis Enrique because I know I’ll never be like Guardiola,” he said when he was introduced as Argentine Football Association head of Player Development in 2021. “[Guardiola] is unsurpassed, he’s a genius, and it’s impossible to imitate him, so I think Luis Enrique is a goal to aspire to and even more achievable to follow,”

His record remains unproven, however. So far, Mascherano’s only job as a coach has been at the helm of the U-20 Argentina national men’s team, where his record is far from perfect. Having taken over in December 2021, he admitted he nearly resigned in 2023 after a very poor South American U-20 Championship saw Argentina fail to qualify for that year’s World Cup. 

In 2024, he achieved his biggest success after he took over the U-23 team and relinquished some of his Barcelona-like aspirations. Mascherano’s more direct and pragmatic team achieved a second-place finish in the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, securing a spot in the Paris Olympics.

Regardless, his background undoubtedly played a part in Inter Miami’s choice, where the squad’s aging superstars like Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets are backed by youngsters such as Facundo Farías, Federico Redondo and Benjamin Cremaschi.

“This job requires someone with the necessary experience to be able to get the most out of our unique collection of talent, from our global superstars to our emerging youth players,” team owner Jorge Mas said at Mascherano’s presentation.

It’s early in Mascherano’s career to pass a full judgment on his caliber and potential as a coach, but he seems uniquely placed to match Inter Miami’s need for brilliant attack and stout defense, as well as managing the ego of superstars and the ambitions of youngsters.