Javier Mascherano arrives at Inter Miami as coach, 5 years after team first pursued him to play

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The first few minutes of Javier Mascherano's introductory news conference as Inter Miami coach on Tuesday were rough. He was coughing, struggling to get words out and needed a few sips of water before finally calming down.

''Air conditioning in Miami,'' he explained. ''It causes me problems.''

Luckily for Mascherano, Inter Miami's matches are played outside. Lionel Messi's former teammate is now Lionel Messi's coach, and Mascherano — hired last week to replace Gerardo ''Tata'' Martino — is already in his new office, working toward a training camp that will start next month.

''I am convinced I can do it,'' Mascherano said. ''I have no doubt.''

Mascherano — Messi's teammate with Barcelona and Argentina's national team — was the hire after a brisk search that took only a few days to complete once Martino informed Inter Miami that he wasn't returning for personal reasons.

In actuality, Mascherano's path to Inter Miami started five years ago.

Mascherano was initially recruited by the team in August 2019 in what Inter Miami viewed as a two-pronged deal. He would play for the club in 2020, its inaugural season, then take over as a coach of the club's academy the following year. It didn't come together then; the timing wasn't right.

''I always thought he would be an amazing mentor,'' managing owner Jorge Mas said. ''Five years later, he's here. It's fate.''

Martino stepped down after 1 1/2 seasons, one where the team won the Leagues Cup in 2023 and broke the Major League Soccer mark for best regular season record on the way to the Supporters Shield this season before faltering in Round 1 of the playoffs.

''To be able to coach this club is a very ambitious project,'' Mascherano said.

Mascherano is 40, only three years older than Inter Miami stars like Messi and Luis Suarez. He has longstanding relationships with not only the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in Messi but also Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets; the five were teammates together in Barcelona.

Mascherano says it won't be an issue transitioning from teammate and friend to coach.

Mascherano most recently was Argentina's under-20 team and Olympic coach; the national team let him out of the last two years of his contract to come to Inter Miami — where he has a three-year deal.

"I'm very thankful to Argentina for understanding this is a great step for me, and for them allowing me to take it," Mascherano said.

Martino came to Inter Miami with a long coaching resume; he was a Major League Soccer title winner, a World Cup coach — for both Messi and Mascherano with Argentina — and tons of experience.

Mascherano is relatively untried on the global stage. But he has the second-most international appearances for anyone wearing the Argentina jersey — only Messi has more — and pointed out that playing for that national team, plus coaching at the national youth level there, has given him a full understanding of how to handle pressure and expectations.

''Obviously, people in the world are going to have opinions and it's a valid opinion, of course,'' Mascherano said. ''But I am convinced that I am capable of coaching this team.''