Gerardo Daniel "Tata" Martino (born 20 November 1962) is an Argentine professional football

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

and former player. Martino played mostly for

Newell's Old Boys Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario, Santa Fe. The club was founded on 3 November 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell of the English county of Kent, one of the pioneers of Argentine football. A ...

in his native Rosario. He holds the record of appearances with the team playing a total of 505 matches in all official competitions. He was also selected in a fan's poll as Newell's best player throughout the club's history. Martino was chosen to replace

Tito Vilanova Francesc "Tito" Vilanova Bayó (17 September 1968 – 25 April 2014) was a Spanish professional football central midfielder and manager. After a career which consisted of a total of 26 La Liga matches in three seasons, all with Celta, he went o ...

as manager of

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...

at the start of the 2013–14 season, but announced his resignation on 17 May 2014, though his side finished runner-up in both the

Copa del Rey The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footb ...

and La Liga that season. In 2015, he led Argentina to the Copa América Final, only to be defeated by hosts

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

on penalties. His team also finished as runners-up in the

Copa América Centenario The Copa América Centenario ( pt, Copa América Centenário, french: Coupe Amerique Centennaire, en, Centennial Cup America; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's association football tournament that was hosted by the ...

, again losing to the defending champion Chile on penalties. On 5 July 2016, Martino resigned from the Argentina national team. He was named the head coach of

Atlanta United FC Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...

, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began play in 2017. Martino led the team to an MLS Cup victory in their second season and was named the

MLS Coach of the Year The Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award is given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996 and is determined by a vote from players, club personnel, and members of th ...

before departing for the

Mexico national team The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (). It competes as a member of CONCACAF. Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified conse ...

. He spent three years leading the side and left Mexico following the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Coaching career

Paraguay national team

Martino was assigned as head coach of the Paraguay national football team in February 2007, replacing

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

an Anibal "Maño" Ruiz. His knowledge and success while coaching

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

an clubs were the parameters that positioned him as the best option for the job (other candidates were

Nery Pumpido Nery Alberto Pumpido (born 30 July 1957) is an Argentine football coach and former goalkeeper who played for Argentina in two World Cups. After retirement, Pumpido moved into club management. His nephew Facundo Pumpido is also a professional fo ...

and

Miguel Ángel Russo Miguel Ángel Russo (born 9 April 1956) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the current manager of Rosario Central. Playing career Club career Russo was a one club man; ...

). Previously, Martino had won the Paraguayan league four times from 2002 till 2006. In 2008, Martino was linked for vacant managerial position of

Iran Pro League The Persian Gulf Pro League ( fa, لیگ برتر خلیج فارس, ''Lig-e Bartar-e Xalij-e Fârs''), formerly known as the Iran Pro League ( fa, links=no, لیگ برتر ایران, ''Lig-e bartar-e Irân''), is the highest division of profe ...

side Steel Azin but the deal was cancelled due to personal reasons. On 5 July 2010, Martino announced that he would be stepping down as Paraguay coach on their return from the

2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

in which he led Paraguay to quarter-finals. Martino confirmed that with his four-year contract expiring, he would not be extending his spell in charge of the national side. However, on 10 July 2010, Martino agreed to stay on as Paraguay coach until after the

2011 Copa America Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *''E ...

, in which Paraguay were runners-up after losing to Uruguay in the final.

Newell's Old Boys

After

Hernán Darío Gómez Hernán Darío Gómez Jaramillo (; born 3 February 1956), also known as El Bolillo (; ''The Baton''), is a Colombian former football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. Career He was an active player from 1966 to 1 ...

's departure from the Colombian national team, Martino received a proposition to coach the team but turned it down, opting instead to coach

, one of his former clubs as a player and a club which at the time was dangerously close to relegation to the

Primera B Nacional Primera Nacional (usually called simply Nacional B, in English "National B Division", and known as Primera B Nacional until the 2019–20 season) is the second division of the Argentine football league system. The competition is made up of 37 team ...

, the second tier of Argentine football. However, a series of impressive results under Martino secured top-flight status for Newell's and Martino's reputation as a coach increased quite significantly. Following his excellent first season at Newell's, Martino won the 2013 Torneo Final, the second and final stage of the Argentine Primera División season and reached the semi-finals of the 2013 Copa Libertadores. As a result, Martino won further plaudits as a coach, having transformed Newell's from a team facing relegation on his arrival to a title-winning side, in addition to the arguably more impressive feat of reaching the 2013 Copa Libertadores semi-final, the pinnacle club competition organized by CONMEBOL. It was this startling turnaround that further increased Martino's stock as a coach, and his achievements at Newell's soon caught the attention of various clubs in Europe, including

Barcelona

upMartino with Barcelona in 2014 On 7 July 2013, Martino was confirmed as manager of Spanish club Barcelona to replace

who resigned three days earlier. He signed a two-year deal at Barcelona. His first competitive game in charge of Barça was on 18 August 2013 against Levante, a game which Barcelona won 7–0 on the opening weekend of the 2013–14 La Liga season. On 26 October 2013, Martino won 2–1 against rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, winning his first '' Clásico'' as a Barcelona manager. Three days later, Barcelona went on to win 0–3 at

Celta de Vigo Real Club Celta de Vigo (; ), commonly known as Celta de Vigo or simply Celta, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Nicknamed ''Os Celestes'' (The Sky Blues ...

and Martino became the first coach in Barcelona history to not lose a game in their first 16 matches. On 20 November, Martino's unbeaten start as Barcelona coach came to an end after his 21st game in charge, as Barcelona lost 2–1 away at

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...

in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League. After conceding the 2013–14 La Liga title on the last day of the season to Atlético Madrid, Martino announced he was to leave his role after just one year in charge during which he did not manage to win any major trophy except the Spanish Super Cup.

Argentina national team

On 12 August 2014, Martino was introduced as the new manager for the Argentina national team, succeeding

Alejandro Sabella Alejandro Javier Sabella (; 5 November 19548 December 2020) was an Argentine football player and manager. Born in Buenos Aires, he began his playing career with River Plate in his home country before moving to England in 1978 to play for Sheff ...

who took the side into the final against Germany at the World Cup in Brazil. In the

2015 Copa América The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...

, he reached the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

, in which Argentina were runners-up after losing to hosts

on penalties. They also finished as runners-up in the

Copa América Centenario Final Copa or COPA may refer to: COPA COPA may refer to: * Computer Operator Programming Assistant. trade of ITI * Child Online Protection Act, a former U.S. law to protect minors from certain material on the internet * Canadian Owners and Pilots Ass ...

on 26 June 2016 against Chile, again losing on penalties. On 5 July 2016, Martino resigned.

Atlanta United

After departing from Argentina, Martino was announced as Major League Soccer expansion team

Atlanta United Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...

's inaugural season head coach on 27 September 2016. On 23 October 2018, Martino announced that he would not renew his contract with Atlanta United following the conclusion of the 2018 MLS season, citing personal reasons. He was expected to sign with the

. Atlanta defeated the Portland Timbers in the

MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conferen ...

, winning their first league title in Martino's last match with the club.

Mexico national team

On 7 January 2019, Martino was announced as head coach of the

in his return to international management since leaving Argentina in May 2016. On 22 March, Martino won his first match with Mexico with a 3–1 win over Chile in a friendly. Later in the same year, Martino and Mexico won the

CONCACAF Gold Cup The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...

over rivals the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in a 1–0 victory, his first national title. But in 2021 Martino lost both

2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final The 2020 CONCACAF Nations League Final was a Association football, soccer match that determined the winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, final tournament of the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League. It was the inaugural final of the C ...

and

to the United States. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Martino led Mexico to their biggest failure in 28 years, since Mexico finished third in their group behind

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

on goal difference, to be their first exit from the group stage since 1978. Following their last group match against

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

, Martino no longer became the head coach of Mexico.

Managerial style

Gerardo Martino prefers to play a very high pressing and an attacking style of football. At Barcelona, Martino continued the club's preferred style of play

tiki-taka Tiki-taka or Tiqui-taca () is a style of play in Spain's football, characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession. The style is primarily associated with the Spain nation ...

along with his own tactics. All of Martino's teams have the same distinguishable traits: they play attack-minded football, they are creative and the style is based on quick passing. In addition, Martino's teams also pressure high up the pitch, play out from the back and depend on their youth systems.

Managerial statistics

Personal life

Gerardo Martino is of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

descent. His grandparents are from Ripacandida, Basilicata. Martino is married to fellow Argentine María Angélica.

Honours

Player

Newell's Old Boys * Argentine Primera División: 1987–88,

1990–91 Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since t ...

, 1992 Clausura

Manager

Libertad *

Paraguayan Primera División The División Profesional de la Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (; "Professional Division of the Paraguayan Football Association"), also known as the Primera División (; "first division"), or due to sponsorship reasons Copa de Primera TIGO-Vi ...

: 2002, 2003, 2006 Cerro Porteño *

: 2004 Newell's Old Boys * Argentine Primera División: 2013 Final Paraguay * Copa América Runner-up: 2011 Barcelona * Supercopa de España:

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

Runner-up: 2013–14 Argentina * Copa América Runner-up: 2015,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

Atlanta United *

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

Mexico *

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Runner-up:

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

CONCACAF Nations League The CONCACAF Nations League ( es, Liga de Naciones CONCACAF, french: Ligue des Nations de la CONCACAF) is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of CONCACAF, the ...

Runner-up: 2019–20 Individual *

South American Coach of the Year The South American Coach of the Year ( es, Entrenador del año en Sudamérica) is an annual association football award presented to the best coach of a club or national team in South America over the previous calendar year. The award has been prese ...

: 2007 *

MLS All-Star The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual Association football, soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club or selected players from Liga MX. MLS initially adopted a tr ...

References

External links