A meeting with fellow countryman Lionel Messi is now feasible thanks to the appointment of former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo Martino to head the Major League Soccer team for Inter Miami.
Messi was coached by Martino, also referred to as "Tata," for both the Spanish club and the country's national team. He formerly oversaw Mexico and Atlanta United in the MLS, where they won the championship in 2018.
“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 Inter Miami Managing Owner Jorge Mas.
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“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,” he added.
Following his decision to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract, Messi announced earlier this month that he would be joining Miami, which is co-owned by David Beckham.
Messi played for Argentine club Newell's Old Boys under the direction of the 60-year-old Martino when he was a student.
The South Florida club also anticipates concluding the signing of Sergio Busquets, a Spanish midfielder who was one of Martino's former Barcelona players.
“I’m very excited to join a big club like Inter Miami and I know together we can accomplish many great things,” said Martino.
“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,” he said.
Martino made his mark as a coach in Paraguay, leading the national side to the runners-up spot in the 2011 Copa America.
After impressing at Newell’s he had a season in charge of Barca in 2013-14 before taking over the Argentine national side for two years and then joined Atlanta in 2016.
