Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano has rejected rumors of a possible rift with Lionel Messi. The duo were engaged in an animated exchange during the 5-3 defeat against the Chicago Fire last week at the Chase Stadium.
The Herons were 2-0 down by the 31st minute of the match, before Tomas Aviles brought his team back in the match. The Florida-based side were tied 3-3 at one point of time, because of Luis Suarez's second-half brace.
However, the visitors scored twice in the dying stages to secure a win. During the match, Cameras captured Mascherano's intense exchange with Lionel Messi, sparking talk of a possible rift between the two.
However, Mascherano has not dismissed those rumors. Speaking ahead of Saturday's match against New England, the Inter Miami manager insisted that he was simply discussing tactics with his fellow countryman.
“There’s no problem with Leo...It came out in the press that he was challenging me, which is really nonsense,” said Mascherano.
He added:
“We were talking about Chicago’s low block. If you look at the game, after their first two goals, they played a very low block, and there was little space to find between the lines.”
He concluded:
“It was a space problem, because they had dropped back very well, and it was very difficult to find space between the lines. It was a problem that I saw and that we tried to talk about in the locker room.”
Inter Miami secured a 4-1 win against the Greater Boston club this weekend, and have already qualified for the MLS Playoffs.
Lionel Messi's stats for Inter Miami
Once again, Lionel Messi is Inter Miami's top scorer this season, despite missing eight matches so far. The Argentine legend has scored 32 goals and 17 assists from 41 games across all competitions this campaign.
The Argentine has scored 24 times in just 26 MLS games, and is leading the race for the Golden Boot at the moment. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has been a revelation for the Herons since arriving at the club in the summer of 2023.
Lionel Messi has won the League's Cup and the Supporters' Shield to date with the Florida-based club, the only two trophies in Inter Miami's history. Having missed out on the MLS Cup last year, La Pulga will have his eyes on the top prize this season.