Bloomberg Línea — Following the announcement earlier this month that Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi will join Inter Miami CF, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club announced this week that it has named its new head coach, fellow Argentine Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino.
‘Tata’ has collected a shelfful of trophies during his career as a manager, although his most recent international posting, as Mexico’s coach, was less successful, with the team eliminated from the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup at the group stage.
An MLS Cup winner, two-time manager at a FIFA World Cup, three-time Conmebol Copa América finalist, Concacaf Gold Cup winner and former FC Barcelona and Argentina national team manager, 60-year-old ‘Tata’ will now face the uphill task of improving the club’s fortunes as it currently languishes at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, although only three points off a place in the playoffs.
Inter Miami’s co-owner, former England and Manchester United and Real Madrid striker David Beckham, described ‘Tata’ as “a highly respected figure in our sport, whose track record speaks for itself. We are confident that his achievements in the game and experience as a head coach will inspire our team and excite our fans, and look forward to seeing the impact he will have on and off the field.”
For his part, the club’s managing owner Jorge Mas said of the new hire., said: “We feel he is a coach who matches our ambitions as a club and we’re optimistic about what we can accomplish together. ‘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”.
“Tata has a proven track record of success in this league and on several other major stages of soccer. He knows what it takes to win in MLS and we’re confident that’s what he’ll bring to Inter Miami,” the club’s chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson said.
That ‘Tata’ brings a wealth of experience as a coach to Inter Miami is beyond doubt. He has managed more than 400 games in over two decades of his managerial career. The Argentine manager has coached in two FIFA World Cups, four Conmebol Copa Américas - reaching three finals - and two Concacaf Gold Cups - winning the 2019 edition of the competition - between his stints with the Paraguayan, Argentine and Mexican national teams.
A distinguished club career
On the club side, he has managed in LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League while at FC Barcelona, having previously managed in the Conmebol Copa Libertadores. His trophy collection includes the 2018 MLS Cup, the 2013 Supercopa de España, the 2013 Argentine First Division Torneo Final title, and four Paraguayan First Division titles. Individually, meanwhile, Martino was named the MLS Coach of the Year in 2018 and the South American Coach of the Year in 2007.
At club level, ‘Tata’, 60, most recently managed Atlanta United during the organization’s first two years in the league, enjoying a successful stay by helping the club win the MLS Cup in 2018. During that period, he managed Inter Miami forward Josef Martínez, who scored 31 goals in MLS regular season play in 2018, which broke the scoring record at the time, before adding four goals in MLS Cup Playoffs to bring his combined total for the campaign to 35 to help Atlanta clinch the MLS Cup title.
‘Tata’ managed FC Barcelona during the 2013-14 season, winning the 2013 Supercopa de España title, while finishing runners-up in the Copa del Rey and finishing second in the league with a league-high 100 goals and league-best +67 goal differential. He had previously managed Argentine side Newell’s Old Boys from 2012 to 2013, helping the club turn the season around after initially being in relegation spots when he first arrived in the 2012 Torneo Clausura, and eventually helping the team win the 2013 Torneo Final title.
He also helped Newell’s reach the semifinals of the Conmebol Copa Libertadores in 2013.
In Paraguay, ‘Tata’ guided Club Libertad to three Paraguayan First Division crowns (in 2002, 2003 and 2006) during his two spells managing the side, and helped Cerro Porteño win the league title in 2004 when he was in charge from 2003 to 2004.
From Paraguay to Mexico, via Argentina
On the international arena, Tata first managed Paraguay in a successful four year period from 2007 to 2011, leading La Albirroja to a historic spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals, the best finish for the country in a World Cup, and taking the team to the quarterfinals in the 2007 Conmebol Copa América and the final in the 2011 Copa América. He was named South American Coach of the Year in 2007 in the process.
Between 2014-16, ‘Tata’ led his national team, Argentina, leading the current World Cup holders to two consecutive finals at the 2015 and 2016 Conmebol Copa América, and helped the team top the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years in July 2015 after last being number one in the ranking in June 2008.
Overall, he registered 20 wins, five losses and four draws during his time with the Argentina national team.
‘Tata’ managed the Mexico national team from 2019 to 2022, a stint that included the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup title and to the 2021 Gold Cup final, and during which he steered the team as a far as the 2021 Concacaf Nations League final, with Mexico qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
However, Mexico’s performance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was disappointing, with the team losing two of its three matches, to Argentina and Poland, before being eliminated at the group stage, and despite a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia, with ‘Tata’ the target of criticism by fans and the Mexican sporting press for the team’s lackluster performance and the coach’s decision not to call up certain players, such as Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández.
15 years a player
Prior to his managerial career, ‘Tata’ enjoyed a playing career that spanned more than 15 years, and he holds the record for all-time appearances for Newell’s Old Boys with a total of 505, and with whom he won three Argentine First Division titles.
He also represented Argentina’s national team at the youth and senior level.
‘Tata’ will bring to Inter Miami his assistant coach Jorge Theiler, fitness coaches Rodolfo Paladini and José Manuel Alfaro, in addition to video analyst Damian Silvero.