Inter Miami COO, sporting director Paul McDonough steps down after debut season
The Inter Miami post-season moves continued Wednesday, as the club announced that Paul McDonough is stepping down from his role as Chief Operating Officer and Sporting Director.
McDonough was hired over two years ago to build the club’s first roster and arrived with high praise after being credited with much of the early success at Atlanta United and Orlando City. Inter Miami was launched amid hype and talk of championships, but the team faced many hurdles in its first season, and finished in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
Although the team made the playoffs in the expanded field, a 7-13-3 record and 3-0 loss to Nashville SC in the playoff play-in game did not meet expectations considering the club boasts one of the league’s most expensive rosters.
Among the high-priced players on the team are World Cup veterans and former Juventus teammates Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo Higuain, who earns a league-high $7 million salary, and Mexican national team midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro. The club also reportedly paid an $8 million transfer fee for Matias Pellegrini, a young Designated Player from Argentina.
McDonough brought in 13 MLS veterans last winter, and nine of them are no longer with the club after the post-season roster moves announced last week, which was an indication that coach Diego Alonso wanted to go in a different direction.
“On behalf of Inter Miami’s ownership group, staff and fans I would like to thank Paul for his invaluable contribution to the expansion of Inter Miami CF over the past two and a half years. Under his leadership, Inter Miami has established a solid base to build upon, from the Club’s infrastructure to its elite facilities,” said Jorge Mas, Managing Owner of Inter Miami CF. “As the Club’s first hire, Paul will always be a part of Inter Miami. I am grateful to him for the passion and dedication he brought to the organization.”
McDonough joined Inter Miami in August of 2018 as Sporting Director with a reputation of building expansion teams from the ground up. During his tenure at Inter Miami, he developed the youth cademy, USL League One team and put together Inter Miami’s first roster while managing the construction of the team’s state-of-the-art training facility and the Cub’s temporary home, Inter Miami CF Stadium.
McDonough will assist the ownership group with the front office transition over the coming weeks.
“Working alongside the Mas brothers to build upon the legacy of soccer in South Florida will be one of the highlights of my career,” said McDonough. “I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to the next chapter.”