Inter Miami’s drop to last place in the Eastern Conference led to the club making a major move on Thursday.
Phil Neville was fired as head coach of the Herons with the club only earning 15 points from 15 matches in 2023. Inter Miami has lost its last four league matches despite advancing to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals later this month.
Assistant Coach Jason Kreis has also left the club, while Javier Morales will assume the role as Interim Head Coach effective immediately.
“We are and always have been an ambitious Club,” said Inter Miami CF Managing Owner Jorge Mas. “Sometimes the path to growth involves difficult decisions and today is one of those moments. We are grateful to Phil for the dedication and tenacity he brought to Inter Miami. His positive contributions are embedded in our team culture and he represented our Club with class and dignity. I would like to welcome Javi Morales to his new role. Javi has been a key member of our organization since day one and understands our goals.”
Neville was appointed as head coach in January 2021 after a three-year stint as the head coach of the England women’s national team. During Neville’s two-and-a-half years with Inter Miami, the team reached the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2022.
He posted a 35-13-42 record as head coach of the Herons.
Morales joined Inter Miami in early 2019 as an Academy coach and later became head coach of Inter’s U-17 side. Ahead of the 2023 season, Morales earned a spot as a First Team assistant coach.
A former MLS player with Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas, Morales registered 255 regular season appearances and 21 playoff appearances, registering a total 53 goals and 92 assists, between 2007 and 2017.