Kuala Lampur, April 16 --  

MIAMI, April 16 - Guillermo Hoyos said his long friendship with Lionel Messi will not stop him from working the Argentine superstar hard in training, as he was unveiled as the new coach of MLS side Inter Miami yesterday. 

Hoyos, previously Miami's sporting director, replaces Javier Mascherano, who departed the club for "personal reasons" on Tuesday, just four months after guiding the club to its first MLS Cup title.

The 62-year-old Hoyos was a key former mentor of Messi with Barcelona's youth team more than two decades ago, and the Argentine pair have remained close ever since.

"Friendship is non-negotiable. We share a friendship that spans many years," said Hoyos, speaking in Spanish, at his firs...