Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino announced on Friday that he is leaving the club due to personal reasons.
“It has been an honor to work at such a special Club, and to lead such a special team. I’ve enjoyed my stay at Inter Miami and will treasure the memories made and relationships forged here for the rest of my life. I depart with nothing but gratitude for my time here and would like to offer sincere thanks to everyone that made it possible,” said Martino in a statement.
Martino led the team to a record-breaking regular season finish in 2024, with Miami earning the Supporters’ Shield with 74 points. But the club followed it up with a poor performance in the MLS playoffs, crashing out of the first round after losses against Atlanta United.
According to multiple reports, Javier Mascherano is set to replace Martino. Mascherano is a former international teammate of Lionel Messi with Argentina and played with Messi for eight seasons at Barcelona.
Martino became head coach of Inter Miami in June 2023, and oversaw the acquisition not only of Messi, but the other excellent players brought in to build a team around him. The team brought on three of Messi’s former Barcelona teammates in Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez, while also rearranging salaries to bring in a number of key young players.
Prior to joining Inter Miami in 2023, Martino coached at a variety of places, including Barcelona and the Argentina national team. The Argentine manager also led Atlanta to an MLS Cup victory in 2018, earning MLS Coach of the Year.
Martino’s departure will mark a massive shift for a team that already has a lot to figure out in the offseason. Inter Miami will now have to find a new coach ahead of 2025, a year that is set to be eventful for the club: In addition to the 2025 MLS season, Inter Miami will also be competing in the FIFA Club World Cup after (somewhat controversially) securing a spot with the 2024 regular season title.
