Phil Neville sacked by Inter Miami amid MLS struggles

Phil Neville’s time with Inter Miami is over.

The former Manchester United and Everton defender was fired on Thursday with the club sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Neville will be replaced on an interim basis by Javier Morales, the former Real Salt Lake star. Morales, 43, joined Neville’s coaching staff after several years coaching in Miami’s youth academy.

“This was a difficult decision but one we feel is the best for the club at this moment,” said Chris Henderson, the club’s chief soccer officer and sporting director, in a team statement. “Phil and I started together in 2021 and since then I saw firsthand the hard work, strong foundation and culture he has helped instill at Inter Miami…We’re excited about this opportunity for Javi and look forward to continuing to see his growth at Inter Miami.”

A downward turn in 2023

Miami managed to sneak into the playoffs in 2022, with Neville’s decision to bench star forward Gonzalo Higuaín widely credited for being a major factor. However, rather than progressing from there, things have largely unraveled for the club.

After beginning the season with two wins, the Herons went on a six-game losing streak that was only ended by squeaking past USL Championship side Miami FC on penalties in the U.S. Open Cup.

Miami would go on to win their next four games in all competitions, but the turnaround was short-lived. The Herons have lost four straight in MLS play, with their only recent success coming via the Open Cup (in which they’ve advanced to the quarterfinals).

The pressure had been mounting. Neville made headlines in late May for swearing while calling out a reporter for interrupting his answer in a press conference. Wednesday night, as Miami fell 1-0 at home the New York Red Bulls, fans hoisted a banner calling for Neville to be fired while roundly booing him and his son, Miami defender Harvey Neville.

As a result of their rollercoaster of a season involving more downs than ups, Miami is in 15th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference. In the overall MLS standings, only the LA Galaxy — who just fired team president Chris Klein while in the midst of their own catastrophic season — and Colorado Rapids have fewer points than Miami’s meager haul of 15.