Inter Miami and Messi suffer a new loss as Chris Henderson moves on

More changes at Inter Miami. Gerardo Martino stepped down from his role as head coach last month, and now another member of the backroom staff is moving on.

Chris Henderson, who has been the Herons' sporting director for the past four years will leave his position, according to Tom Bogert. The 54-year-old former player was appointed as Chief Soccer Officer (CSO) in January 2021 to “manage soccer operations and on-field developments, from the first team to the youth levels”.

Henderson, one of the candidates to win MLS Executive of the Year, is headed to Atlanta United, the team that eliminated Inter Miami in the recent playoffs, where he will be reunited with Garth Lagerwey, with whom he spent several years at the Seattle Sounders.

Henderson had lost prominence in Miami since June, when the club decided to hire Barcelona executive Raúl Sanllehi as president of football operations.

Henderson, key in Inter Miami’s development

Henderson has played an important tole in developing the Herons’ squad - his expertise and knowledge of MLS rules has been key. As has his knack of discovering promising young players - a good example is Yannick Bright, who halfway through last season found a place in Tata’s starting XI.

He was also instrumental in bringing Inter Miami back from severe MLS sanctions for roster rule violations prior to his arrival. And he managed to keep the club’s payroll compliant despite the additions of superstars Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez.

A former player, Henderson starred as a midfielder for the Miami Fusion, the city’s first MLS team, in 2001. That was where he was team mates with goalkeeper Lagerway, with whom he will now seek to build a competitive roster in Atlanta, with two designated player spots available.