Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who joined Inter Miami alongside Lionel Messi after coaching the soccer icon at Barcelona and with the Argentina national team, has reportedly left the MLS club for personal reasons following the club’s stunning defeat to Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs. GiveMeSport was the first to report Martino’s departure.
Inter Miami began the 2024 season, its first full season with the 36-year-old Messi on the roster since his July 2023 arrival, as the clear favorite to win the MLS Cup. Messi was joined on the squad by fellow Barcelona veterans Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez, as well as some promising young players like Benjamin Cremaschi.
The regular season was a success, with Inter Miami winning the Supporter’s Shield with an MLS record 74 points despite Messi’s early-year extended injury layoff, but the run was cut short in early November by an Atlanta United club that concluded with only 40 points.
Martino was viewed as an ideal candidate to manage the strong Miami group not just because of his link to Messi — the two share a hometown of Rosario, Argentina — but also because of his previous success in the MLS, having led Atlanta to the 2018 MLS Cup triumph in the club’s third season of existence.
A new coach will now attempt to maximize Miami’s seasoned core since it is unclear how much more the 37-year-old Messi and his three close friends and teammates — all of whom are 35 or older — have in the tank.
There are tentative preparations for a Friday news conference with Martino and other team officials. Inter Miami was ousted in the first round of this year’s MLS Cup playoffs, and training camp for the 2025 season will not begin until January.
