From turmoil to playoffs: Inter Miami dream of “something really special”

Fast-forward to an early-fall make-up game, and Inter Miami have officially clinched a playoff spot that once was considered a longshot. They sealed it in emphatic fashion, blitzing Orlando in front of a raucous crowd of home supporters, led by a brace from Gonzalo Higuaín and Leo Campana’s incredible chip 35 seconds in before Ariel Lassiter lasered home a left-footer.

It was a proof-of-concept moment for Neville and sporting director Chris Henderson, who joined the club from Seattle Sounders FC in January 2021 and was a key architect in re-shaping the club’s identity and culture. It required faith amid plenty of growing pains, which Neville said was provided by an ownership group that believed in his vision even through a difficult start.

“First thing’s first, I think in the first season I got incredible backing by the ownership. Because they could have got rid of me,” said Neville, who joined in January 2021 after leading the England women’s national team. “It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t good, I didn’t like what I was seeing myself. But I think they had incredible belief in me, in my staff, in Chris. I think what me and Chris did, we set out the vision that we wanted. And that was to rip the heart out of the team and bring in the players that we wanted.

“And you think about the achievement of those players – they’ve performed miracles, really. … I suppose we’ve built a proper football club this year. And along the way, the start of the season was very difficult, but I go back to: Never once did the ownership wobble. Never once did I suppose me and Chris think that we were not heading in the right direction. We just needed a bit of time and trust and we got that and the players have been sensational.”