A picture taken on July 3, 2013 shows the coach of Argentinian Newell’s Old Boys, Gerardo “Tata” Martino looking on during the Copa Libertadores 2013 semi-final first-leg match against Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro at Marcelo Bielsa Stadium in Rosario near Buenos Aires. Martino was named as Barcelona’s new boss on a two-year deal, the club confirmed yesterday.
MADRID: Argentine coach Gerardo Martino has been named as Barcelona’s new boss on a two-year deal, the club confirmed yesterday.
“FC Barcelona have reached an agreement for the hiring of Gerardo Martino as the new coach of the first team for the next two seasons,” said a statement on the club’s website.
“In the next few hours a programme will be confirmed for his arrival in Barcelona, the signing of his contract and his presentation.”
Martino is not expected to take charge when Barca face their old manager Pep Guardiola in their first pre-season friendly away to Bayern Munich today.
The 50-year-old arrives after successful period in charge of Newell’s Old Boys in his homeland but has just over three weeks to get used to his new surroundings before the start of the Spanish league season on August 17.
Barca were suddenly forced into looking for a new boss just last week when Tito Vilanova sadly had to resign due to an ongoing battle with cancer.
Martino has no previous managerial experience in Europe, although he did enjoy a brief spell in Spain with Tenerife as a player in 1991.
However, it is his great success as a coach in both Paraguay and Argentina that has convinced the Catalans that he is the right man for the job.
Martino won four titles in Paraguay with Libertad and Cerro Porteno between 2002 and 2006 before going onto take charge of the country’s national team.
He led the South Americans to their best ever performance in a World Cup in 2010 where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Spain in a nervy quarter-final in Johannesburg.
Paraguay also reached the Copa America final in 2011 under Martino’s guidance, before he left to take charge of Newell’s, for whom he made more than 500 appearances as a player in three spells.
Martino restored the Rosario side, where a young Argentinian Lionel Messi also took his first steps in the game, to their former glory this season as they won the season-ending championship in Argentina and also reached the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores.
Later yesterday, Martino said he believed a recommendation from fellow Argentine Messi was behind his surprise appointment as Barcelona coach.
“The details of how the situation developed I don’t know (but) I have no doubt Jorge (Messi’s father) and Lionel had some influence,” Martino, the former Paraguay coach, told a news conference in Rosario.
“I’m sure they were asked their opinion and we’ve come to this outcome,” added the 50-year-old, who comes from Rosario like the Messis.
Martino, who led Newell’s Old Boys to the Argentine “Final” championship last month, added: “I was expecting some job proposals and I can’t say I was expecting this one.” AGENCIES
