Manchester United legend Phil Neville talks about Lionel Messi's arrival and how it contributed to his Inter Miami's sacking.
Manchester United legend Phil Neville spoke about his termination from Inter Miami, where he revealed that he sensed Lionel Messi's arrival would get him the boot.
The ex-Liverpool star was coach of the Miami outfit for two-and-a-half seasons and was fired on June 1, weeks before the Argentine international joined the club.
What Phil Neville said
The former Lionesses boss spoke about his termination for the first time on Taylor Twellman's Offside Podcast when he revealed why he thought he was fired.
The older Neville brothers spoke honestly about his sacking from the role, admitting that the results were not good enough in his last month at the club.
He suggested that Messi's arrival meant a new direction for the club, claiming he sensed the sack was coming with the Argentine international's arrival imminent.
"'I always had a feeling deep down I wasn't going to be here (in Miami) when he (Messi) was going to come to the club,' Neville said, per the Daily Mail.
"And I say that not lacking confidence in myself but this was different, this was not signing Gonzalo Higuain or Blaise Matuidi.
"You look around the world, the way he has been at other clubs and there has always been certain managers that managed him. The bottom line for me was, forget Messi, the results weren't good enough the last month I was in the job and I knew that. That is the reason I left.
"When I look in the mirror in the morning and my friends or social media say "It could have been you," well, no, it couldn't have. The results were not good enough. I knew the vision, I knew what the club wanted. I've been in football a long time and sometimes it is not meant to be. I am not bitter, twisted or angry.'
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