MIAMI — Javier Mascherano has quit as Inter Miami CF head coach, just four months after guiding the club to its first MLS Cup title.

Miami said in a statement Tuesday that the Argentine coach had stepped down for “personal reasons.”

– MLS Power Rankings: LAFC’s first loss of 2026 knocks them off the top
– Messi denied late, Miami still winless at new home

Mascherano officially communicated his decision to the club following Saturday’s 2-2 home draw against the New York Red Bulls, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The club said that Guillermo Hoyos will take over as head coach of the first team for “the upcoming matches,” moving over from his current role of sporting director.

“I want to let everyone know that, for personal reasons, I have decided to end my tenure as head coach of Inter Miami CF,” Mascherano said in a statement.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank the Club for the trust they placed in me, every employee who is part of the organization for the collective effort, but especially the players, who made it possible for us to experience unforgettable moments.”

Mascherano, a former teammate of Miami star Lionel Messi with Argentina and Barcelona, spent almost a year and a half at the helm after replacing Gerardo “Tata” Martino in November 2024.

The former Argentina under-20 coach led Inter Miami to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal and the Leagues Cup final, and he made history when lifting the MLS Cup during his first year with the club in 2025.

Miami is third in the Eastern Conference through seven games of the 2026 season but exited the Concacaf Champions Cup via a loss to Nashville SC.

The move comes not even two weeks after Inter Miami opened its new stadium near Miami International Airport. The club has tied its first two matches in the new facility.

“Javier will forever be part of this Club’s history and will always hold a special place in the Inter Miami CF family,” Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas said. “Not only for being a key part of unforgettable achievements, such as winning the MLS Cup and the team’s historic performance at the Club World Cup, but also for the example he set through his dedication and daily work leading the team.

“We respect his decision and are deeply grateful for everything he contributed, wishing him nothing but the very best in his professional and personal future.”

Hoyos comes into the role after working as a coach and sporting director in leagues across the world including Liga MX and serving as Bolivia national team head coach. Chief soccer officer Alberto Marrero will assume Hoyos’ previous responsibilities as sporting director of the club.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LIVERPOOL, England — In the end, Liverpool‘s latest European odyssey ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.

The second leg of the Reds’ UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie with Paris Saint-Germain had all the ingredients to be a European classic, and in many ways it delivered. The Anfield crowd was at its vicious, vociferous best as momentum swung between two sides capable, to varying degrees, of genuine excellence. Liverpool — who for much of this term have looked a pale imitation of the side that romped to last season’s Premier League title — ran and slid and pumped their fists as they sought to overturn a daunting 2-0 first-leg deficit.

But, just as they were at the Parc des Princes last week, PSG were simply too good. The European champions were made to suffer at times on Tuesday night, but they held their nerve. And when chances arose to underscore their dominance in this tie, Ousmane Dembélé seized them, scoring twice in the second half to send the French side through to the semifinals with a 2-0 win and a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Moments after the Ballon d’Or winner had netted the visitors’ second of the evening, Florian Wirtz lashed a wild effort over the bar for Liverpool to a chorus of jeers from the traveling PSG fans. In many ways, the sequence encapsulated the current disparity between the two sides.

– Despite Yamal’s form, Atleti wash away Barça out of Champions League
– Gündogan Awards: Kane, Putellas, Modric lead 2025-26 class
– Why Klopp, Luis Enrique are the only managers to fix Real Madrid

PSG have struck the perfect blend of arrogance and humility. They are totally assured of their own brilliance but possess the alacrity to back up the hype by leaving everything out on the pitch.

Like Liverpool, they are a side are packed with star power. Yet while PSG boss Luis Enrique has been able to corral his players into one glittering constellation, Arne Slot has yet to imbue his team with the confidence to truly sparkle. Still, it was telling that there were no signs of mutiny at the final whistle, even as the wind and rain swirled around Anfield.

Instead, the majority of Liverpool supporters stayed behind and applauded in recognition of a battling display from their side. The hosts generated an expected goals (xG) value of 1.94 compared to the visitors’ 1.25, had 21 shots compared to PSG’s 12 and recorded more than double the amount of touches in the opposition box.

Had PSG center back Marquinhos not slid in at the last to deny Virgil van Dijk a certain goal in the first half, or had Liverpool’s penalty for a challenge on Alexis Mac Allister not been overturned in the second, the outcome could have been very different. But, ultimately, fortune did not favor Slot’s side.

That, too, has been an enduring theme of Liverpool’s season. So many times, when it has looked as if the Reds have managed to pick themselves up and dust themselves off, the fates have conspired to send them tumbling back onto the canvas.

Here, the withdrawal of Hugo Ekitike after half an hour with what looked like a serious injury presented yet another setback for Liverpool to overcome. Before Tuesday, the French attacker had shared the pitch for only 88 minutes with fellow summer signings Wirtz and Alexander Isak, who was handed his first start in more than four months against PSG after recovering from a broken leg. That the trio have so seldom been afforded the chance to forge a connection reflects the tribulations Slot has had to contend with this term, with the Dutchman now unlikely to have all three players available before the end of the campaign.

On his return to the starting lineup, Isak struggled to showcase the quality that saw Liverpool splash a British-record £125 million on him last summer, enjoying just five touches before his withdrawal at the break. With nothing to lose in the second half, the Reds attacked with a fervor that has evaded them for much of the season, but a cocktail of poor finishing and fine goalkeeping from Matvei Safonov denied them the opportunity to truly set this contest alight.

“Of course, we are very disappointed because I think there were parts of the second half where you could feel, ‘If we could just score now, this could become a very special night’,” Slot said in his postmatch news conference. “But the future looks very bright for this team, for this club. We have showed we can compete with the champions of Europe in our stadium. To be the dominant team, not many teams can be dominant against PSG and create as many chances as we did. Creating chances is one thing, scoring is a second.”

While Slot will be left to rue his team falling foul of the fine margins, the external clamor surrounding his future will no doubt continue to swell as Liverpool brace for their first trophyless season since 2021. The Reds have lost 17 of their 50 games in all competitions and must successfully navigate a tricky run of fixtures — starting with this weekend’s visit to Merseyside rivals Everton — if they are to be playing in the Champions League again next season.

For Liverpool, it is now top five or bust. With no Champions League miracle to cling to, even that might not be enough to convince supporters that Slot should still be in the dugout the next time Anfield plays host to one of Europe’s elite.

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to make Fernando Mendoza, the national championship-winning quarterback from Indiana, the first overall pick in the NFL Draft next Thursday.

But that hasn’t stopped teams below the Raiders at No. 1 overall from calling their phone about a possible trade up scenario.

Raiders GM John Spytek spoke during a pre-NFL Draft news conference, during which he admitted to getting a “few calls” about the first overall selection his team owns.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“Those teams know where they stand,” Spytek said, via ESPN.

Spytek said during the news conference that good trades can always materialize on draft night, sometimes even right before the pick. However, if a player stands out to the team, as Mendoza is believed to have done, the Raiders will turn down an offer.

KIRK COUSINS DECLARES THE RAIDERS’ UNIFORMS THE ‘BEST JERSEYS IN PRO SPORTS’

“If there’s a player that stands out that we feel it’s not worth losing, it’s not worth even picking up the phone, then we’ll just make the pick,” Spytek added. “But if it’s a player that we’re not as excited about, or there’s a group of players that we would love to pick from, and we can get value for that, we’re certainly open to listening to that.”

All signs point to Mendoza, who has cemented himself as the best quarterback in this draft after an undefeated season at Indiana. It also became more apparent that a quarterback was needed for Las Vegas after reaching a deal with the New York Jets to reunite them with Geno Smith, who was their starter in 2025 following a prior deal with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Raiders, however, did bring in Kirk Cousins after his release from the Atlanta Falcons, though his $20 million in guaranteed money on a whopping $172 million deal indicates he will serve as a mentor for whoever the Raiders bring in the building through the draft . Aidan O’Connell is also on the Raiders’ roster under new head coach Klint Kubiak.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks to throw a pass during the school’s NFL pro day in Bloomington, Indiana, on April 1, 2026. (AJ Mast/AP Photo)

Kubiak is fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Seahawks, serving as their offensive coordinator before taking this promotion following a one-year stint by Pete Carroll in Sin City. It didn’t go according to plan for Las Vegas, resulting in the first overall selection.

But things are looking up for the silver and black, as Spytek used the team’s vast free agent cap room to sign the likes of center Tyler Linderbaum, linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, and wide receiver Jalen Nailor, among others.

Now, Spytek and the franchise have their eyes set on improving the roster even more with potential cornerstone pieces through the NFL Draft. The Raiders possess 10 total picks, including the first overall selection, which is the first time they’ve had that slot since 2007.

And those picks, if it’s Mendoza or anyone else in the draft, will have to earn their roster spot and playing time like everyone else across the league.

John Spytek of the Las Vegas Raiders speaks during a press conference at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Ultimately, this is a meritocracy, and the best guy will play,” Spytek explained. “It’s just really hard to play really well at a young age. But we’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks do it recently. We added Kirk, we have Aidan, and we’ll see how it goes.”

The NFL Draft begins with the Raiders on the clock next Thursday in Pittsburgh.