It turns out Lionel Messi doesn’t need an introduction to his Inter Miami coach.
Messi’s new club announced Wednesday that Gerardo “Tata” Martino would take charge at DRV PNK Stadium as the club’s new head coach.
The 60-year-old Argentine has made his return to MLS after an unhappy spell as Mexico’s manager, and will reunite with Messi — who he coached with both Barcelona and Argentina — once the legendary attacker arrives in July.
“I’m very excited to join a big club like Inter Miami and I know together we can accomplish many great things,” said Martino in a team press release. “The club has the necessary infrastructure to be a major competitor in the region and I believe that with everyone’s hard work and commitment we can get there.”
“We are very happy to be able to welcome Tata to Inter Miami. We feel he is a coach who matches our ambitions as a club and we’re optimistic about what we can accomplish together,” said Miami managing owner Jorge Mas. “Tata has coached at the highest levels and we believe that experience will be hugely beneficial to us as we aim to compete for titles here.”
Is reunion with Messi good news?
On one hand, bringing Martino back to MLS makes a lot of sense. With Atlanta United, Martino helped shepherd in a new era for the league. As the first-ever head coach for the club, Martino’s Five Stripes set a high bar in terms of high-intensity, attack-first soccer in the league, weaving patterns of play that were both effective and entertaining.
With Martino at the helm, Atlanta scored 70 goals in both 2017 and 2018, winning the 2018 MLS Cup and helping Josef Martínez (who won the Golden Boot in 2018) become a bona fide star.
On the other, Martino left Atlanta in a cloud after rumors of disagreements with the club’s decision-makers, and his next step was not a happy one. The Mexico men’s job is one of the most high-pressure positions in international soccer, and Martino spent three years enduring the endless demands of the press, fanbase, and federation without a lot of truly positive moments.
After struggling with both the U.S. and Canada in qualifying and elsewhere, Martino’s Mexico did not get out of the group stage at the 2022 World Cup. Moments after their third match ended, Martino told reporters that his contract had officially ended.
Martino’s history with Messi is a bit clouded by the pressure cooker environments with Barca and Argentina. At the Camp Nou, Martino was a surprise appointment after the late Tito Vilanova retired in 2013 while battling cancer. Martino, having only won the Spanish Super Cup, stepped down soon after Atlético Madrid sealed the 2013-14 La Liga title by holding Barca to a draw on the final day of the season.
Martino moved on to Argentina, but suffered more heartbreak with Messi. In both the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa América, they reached the final only to lose on penalties to unfancied Chile.
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