Inter Miami CF announced this Friday that it has reached an agreement with former Argentine footballer Cristian «Kily» González to become the new head coach of the first team, as confirmed by the official statement from the club.
The 52-year-old technician will assume his duties as soon as he receives the necessary work permits.
González arrives to replace Ángel Guillermo Hoyos, who was dismissed after a results crisis that left the team with just one point in their last five performances across all competitions, in addition to being eliminated from the 2026 Leagues Cup.
Hoyos, who took over as interim in April following the resignation of Javier Mascherano and was confirmed in the position at the beginning of June, had a promising start — 19 points out of 24 possible — but was unable to maintain that level. His departure was also hastened by a suspension imposed by MLS for delaying the start of matches.
The club publicly expressed its gratitude for his management: “Inter Miami wants to highlight and especially thank Hoyos for his commitment and complete involvement with the organization, evidenced by his willingness to take on the role during this period, which began last April.” Hoyos will continue to lead the team on a provisional basis until González joins along with his coaching staff.
Born in Rosario on August 4, 1974, Kily González was one of the standout wingers in South American football of his generation. As a player, he traveled across Europe wearing the jerseys of Real Zaragoza, Valencia, and Inter Milan, where he amassed titles such as La Liga, the Scudetto, and the Coppa Italia. With the Argentina national team, he played 56 matches and participated in the 2002 World Cup.
His connection with Lionel Messi is not new: they both played together in the last two matches of the 2006 World Cup Qualifiers, a victory against Peru in Buenos Aires and a defeat against Uruguay in Montevideo.
As a coach, González managed Rosario Central, Unión de Santa Fe, and Platense in Argentine football, marking his first experience leading a club outside of Argentina.
With his arrival, Inter Miami has now had seven coaches in its history. The last five have been Argentinians: Javier Morales —acting as interim in 2023—, Gerardo Martino, Javier Mascherano, Guillermo Hoyos, and now González. Before them, Uruguayan Diego Alonso and Englishman Phil Neville led the team in its early seasons.
The Florida team, which won the MLS Cup 2025 under the management of Mascherano, is currently in second place in the Eastern Conference, but their negative streak has raised concerns within the club.
The team's first immediate challenge —even with Hoyos on the bench— is the match this Saturday against CF Montréal in MLS. The bigger challenge will come on September 16, when Inter Miami faces Cruz Azul in the final of the Campeones Cup 2026 at Nu Stadium in Miami.
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