DAVID BECKHAM has opened up about his decision to sack former team-mate Phil Neville as Inter Miami head coach.
Neville, 46, was dismissed from his position last month after the Herons fell to rock bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference.
And Beckham, 48, has admitted that it was a “tough” decision to make.
In an interview with The Athletic, the England and Manchester United legend said: “Yes, we have a great brand, but the most important thing is what we do on the pitch.
“Unfortunately as an owner, you realise you have to make tough decisions. We had Diego Alonso in the first season and scraped through to the play-offs.
“I thought it was the right time to make a change. I felt culturally we weren’t quite there and I went back to my roots.
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“I went back to what I know and to thinking, ‘We need someone in this building who is going to be over everything — turn up at 6am and leave at 7pm, work, bring a culture and give everything, not just to Inter Miami, but to the city and really dive in with his family’.
“That’s exactly what Phil did.
“I’ve known Phil for a long, long time, so bringing him in was an important move and he did an incredible job over the couple of years he was here, with the players and the staff.
“He brought a seriousness that we didn’t have. But on the field, we weren’t quite right and, unfortunately, we felt there needed to be a change.
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“He knew it was coming and took it like a gentleman.”
Almost one month after Neville’s departure, former Barcelona manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino was appointed as Inter Miami’s new head coach.
The MLS side have since signed several ex-Barca stars, including seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.
Messi marked his Inter Miami debut with a stunning free kick to lead his side to a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul.
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have also joined the Herons on a permanent basis this summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
