Argentine Inter Miami defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez feels at home in South Florida
Major League Soccer plans to resume the regular season in home markets later this summer. Nobody is more eager to get back on the field than Argentine center back Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, who signed with Inter Miami just before the MLS is Back Tournament, lived and trained with the team inside the Orlando bubble, but was ineligible to play games because of a league transfer policy.
Gonzalez Pirez (nicknamed “LGP”) was frustrated watching from the bench as his new team lost all three tournament games. But he took the opportunity to help as a locker room leader and mentor to young players, roles he has relished at every stop along his career.
Once the season resumes, he will be on the active roster and a likely starter alongside his countryman Nico Figal.
“It was very difficult to train so hard and know there was no chance I could play in Orlando, but I had a different role there, motivating teammates and sharing my experience with younger players,” said Gonzalez Pirez, 28, who began his career with River Plate in Argentina, moved to Atlanta United in 2017 to play for Argentine coach Tata Martino and instantly became one of the top MLS defenders.
He was a pillar on the Atlanta team that won the MLS Cup in 2018, just one year after the expansion club joined the league. Known for his toughness and technical skills, Gonzalez Pirez played for Argentina’s U17, U20 and U22 national teams. He also has European experience after going on loan to Gent in Belgium.
In his short time with Inter Miami, he has already become like a big brother to 20-year-old Matias Pellegrini, whom he knew when they both played for Estudiantes in Argentina.
“I was on the first team and Mati was on the youth team, but he was getting called up to train with us, so I got to know him well,” Gonzalez Pirez said. “When I would go back to Argentine from Atlanta, I would visit my old teammates at Estudiantes and I’d see him there. When Inter Miami approached me, I called Mati and asked him a lot of questions, and he told me this was a great place to play.
“I have always liked to help the younger guys because I remember what that’s like, how it can be overwhelming, and you can get lonely and feel lost and sad. So, anything I can do to make that transition easier for them I will do.”
That kind of leadership is one reason Inter Miami chief operating officer Paul McDonough leaped at the chance to add LGP to the roster. McDonough was the general manager at Atlanta United before taking the Miami job, so he knew Gonzalez Pirez well.
A 2019 MLS All-Star, Gonzalez Pirez was sold by Atlanta United to Tijuana of the Mexican league in January 2020. Some reports speculated that his public criticism of former Atlanta coach Frank de Boer, who replaced Martino, was a reason for his departure. He was making $800,000 at the time. He wound up playing just 14 games for Tijuana before Liga MX was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus.
“Leandro is a top player, one of the best defenders in the league,” McDonough said. “His experience, ability to win trophies, and his flat-out talent is a great asset for us to have with our team.”
Gonzalez Pirez is delighted to be back in MLS. He and his wife Melina Dibos, a former professional stage dancer on Buenos Aires’ Calle Corrientes (the Argentine equivalent of Broadway), have a 2-year-old daughter Emilia and are expecting a second daughter in September. They vacationed in Miami for many years, feel at home with the Latin American culture, and are eager to get settled in.
Although they have not dined out due to COVID-19, Gonzalez Pirez and Dibos satisfy their Argentine cravings with takeout from Patagonia Nahuen Café and Graziano’s. Dibos hopes to one day resume her dancing and choreography career, and Miami’s Latin music scene appealed to her.
“This is a very good league that has improved a lot in the past five years, offers everything a player could want, including financial security and a safe environment for you and your family,” he said.
“When the talk began about an expansion team in Miami, a lot of players around the league were intrigued. My wife sacrificed a lot to suspend her career and come to the United States with me. I think Miami is a great place for us. When I got here, I found a team that is equipped to do big things with first-class training facilities and stadium and a very capable front office. Paul [McDonough] is one of the best in the league at his position and has big goals. Everything about this club is much more than I expected.”
Having gone through expansion in Atlanta, Gonzalez Pirez brings perspective to the team. He said coach Diego Alonso’s preferred playing style — high pressure and ball possession — reminds him of Martino.
“I see a lot of similarities between this team and Atlanta when they were starting, the only difference is that we haven’t gotten the results in the first five games,” he said. “Some of those games Inter Miami did not deserve to lose. But it’s just a matter of time. We are working hard on the details to tip the scales in our favor. There is no doubt in my mind, from what I’ve seen, that we will be competing for big things in the near future.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 12:46 PM.