FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, USA (AP) — Gerardo “Tata” Martino, the Argentine coach who led Inter Miami to achieve the best points record in a regular season in MLS history, resigned from his position, as reported by a person familiar with the decision on Tuesday.
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Despite finishing as the top team in the regular season, Lionel Messi's Inter failed miserably in the playoffs, being eliminated in the first round by Atlanta United.
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Inter Miami had a record roster for Major League Soccer, with an investment of $41.7 million annually, and of those, $20.4 million were allocated to Messi's salary. In contrast, the entire annual roster of Atlanta cost $14.4 million.
Why is Martino leaving Inter Miami?
Martino, who was hired in July 2023 at the same time as the signing of Lionel Messi, made the decision for personal reasons, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as there has been no official announcement from Miami.
The ownership of Inter Miami is in the hands of brothers Jorge and José Mas, and David Beckham, with many of the sporting decisions being made by the former Manchester United player and English national team member.
This is the third time Messi is coached by Martino, with whom he has a good relationship, but they have never achieved great success together. In the 2013-2014 season of Barcelona, they did not win any titles in either the League or the Champions League, so the coach from Rosario lasted only a year on the bench of the Catalan team.
But surely the most painful were the finals that Martino and Messi lost with Argentina against Chile in the 2015 and 2016 Copa America.
A press conference was scheduled for Friday with Martino and club leaders.