Miami shake up front office, with Hoyos set to become the new sporting director
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Front Office shakeup at Inter MiamiMessi's "godfather" promoted internally second preseason friendly WednesdayGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?
Inter Miami have had a front office shakeup, with president of football operations Raul Sanllehi re-assigned to a role within the club overseeing institutional relation matters. Guillermo Hoyos, Messi's so-called "footballing godfather," has reportedly been put in charge of first-team sporting decisions, according to GIVEMESPORT.
The report adds that after Inter Miami's recent preseason victory over Club America, Sanllehi entered the "players and coaches only" bus – which prompted an exchange of words with Messi. Sanllehi will now work out of the club office in Coral Gables, not the first-team facilities in Miami.
In a statement shared by Miami with GMS, the MLS club said: "Raul's move was pre-planned, in coordination with the closing of the window at the end of January and the many activities that the team has with the Club World Cup, World Cup and other matters pertaining to institutional relations."
Hoyos joined the in 2023 shortly after Messi arrived with the club, first working as director of methodology. He worked with the Argentine superstar at Barcelona as an academy coach, where the two bonded and have remained friends since. Hoyos first worked with Messi as a FC Barcelona academy coach and the pair have been close since.
“He was my footballing dad," Messi said of Hoyos in 2010. "He’s helped me a lot since I came to Barça. He was always with me, showing me things, and has brought me to where I am today, the first division. I’m grateful that he is my footballing godfather."
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Sanllehi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2024, arriving to help lead the sporting side of the club. Since his arrival in South Beach, previous sporting director Chris Henderson and director of scouting Mark Prizant have both departed the club.
Henderson left to join Atlanta United as their new sporting sirector, while Prizant joined the 2025 expansion side San Diego FC as their assistant GM.
Prior to joining Miami, Sanllehi was the CEO of Spanish club Real Zaragoza, but is most well-known for his time in England, where he was head of football at Arsenal, and his time in Spain as director of football for Barcelona.
DID YOU KNOW?
Miami are set to compete in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as one of two MLS sides in the competition. The other, Seattle Sounders, will join the in the summer of 2025 for the tournament.
WHAT NEXT FOR MIAMI?
Messi and Co. report to the pitch Wednesday against Universitario de Deportes in a friendly. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET at Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru.