David Beckham has approached Phil Neville about coaching Inter Miami, reports say
David Beckham will be taking a more active role in Inter Miami’s soccer decisions this season, and multiple reports from England on Wednesday said he has approached former Manchester United teammate Phil Neville about replacing Diego Alonso as coach at Inter Miami.
Neville, 43, has been coach of the English women’s national team since 2018. Beckham, who is co-owner of Inter Miami, played alongside Neville at Manchester United and on England’s national team. The two are also co-owners of English League Two team Salford City.
Alonso is still officially the coach at Inter Miami, but his situation with the club is uncertain. Last month, he left a postseason review meeting with ownership believing he had been fired. He told staff and some players that he was gone, but the club quickly announced that it was a “misunderstanding” and that Alonso’s future was “still being determined.”
Since then, Alonso’s name came up for job openings at Penarol in Uruguay and Club America in Mexico.
Neville’s contract with the women’s national team was set to expire in July, after the Tokyo Olympics, with Netherlands coach Sarina Wiegman taking over in September. If the talks with Inter Miami turn into a job, his departure would be expedited.
The Telegraph wrote: “Sources have told Telegraph Sport that the Football Association are already looking at alternatives to Neville to take charge of the Olympic squad in Japan as they believe the former Manchester United and Everton player is going to accept a role in the MLS.”
The report went on to say Neville’s departure from the women’s national team was expected to be announced in the coming days, eight months before he was supposed to coach the Lionesses in the Olympics.
Inter Miami officials would not comment on the report.
If Neville wins up with Miami, it will be his first men’s head-coaching job.
In addition to his three years coaching the Lionesses, Neville was a top assistant with Manchester United in 2013-14 under David Moyes. He was also on the coaching staff with Spanish team Valencia through in 2015-16, working with Nuno Espirito Santo and his brother, Gary Neville.
Neville played 263 games for Manchester United from 1994-2005, winning six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League. He joined Everton in 2005, and played the final eight years of his career there. He was on the English national team from 1996 to 2007. He led the England women’s team to a fourth-place finish at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
Inter Miami finished 10th in the 14-team Eastern Conference last season, and lost 3-0 to expansion club Nashville SC in the first round of the playoffs. Paul McDonough, the club’s sporting director and chief operating officer, stepped down after the season but has been helping the club transition as it restructures this offseason.
Luis Robles Retires
Luis Robles, the goalkeeper and captain during Inter Miami’s inaugural season, announced on Instagram Wednesday that he is retiring. Robles, who played eight years with the New York Red Bulls before joining Inter Miami, broke his arm in early October, had surgery, and missed the rest of the season. He had been one of the most reliable keepers in MLS history, holding the league record for most consecutive regular-season starts with 183, spanning six seasons.
“No easy way to say it, but after 14 years of professional soccer I’ve decided that I’m done playing,” Robles posted on Instagram. He goes on to thank his family, mentors, teammates, coaches, fans, and God. “It’s been amazing and as this chapter closes I look forward to what’s next.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 2:10 PM.