Official: Tata Martino has just officially announced his resignation from Barcelona

Yohan Modric wrote:

Khaled wrote:

Yohan Modric wrote:Do Barca have any past connection with Martino?

Tata and Messi both from Rosario and started youth career at Newell's old boys

Not sure that's a good enough reason for him to be a candidate.

that's not the reason. Him getting Paraguay to the final of the Copa America, and almost knocking out Spain at the WC 10 + his Newell Old Boys getting to the semis of the Libertadores is what is getting him noticed. He is also of the Biesla school, likes possession with short passes and to attack.

Yeh but I'm sure there's more managers who play possession that have achieved the same if not more than him. It's almost like picking a name out of a hat.

He is actually in pretty high demand. Malaga and Real Sociedad also had him as first choice but he rejected both of them.

Jupp, AVB and Laudrup already said no to the role. RDM, and the rest of the available options don't fit our mold of play. Biesla could work, but could also start allot of issues which we don't need. Valverde was a guy Barca were looking at but he is with Bilbao now. Enrique is another option, but lets be honest, he didn't fair too well at Roma so it's not like either of him or Tata are more of a garuntee and Tata I would argue has achieved allot more than he has. Given the timing of the whole thing and pre season training aready under way, we don't really have a big luxury of sitting around waiting for a world class manager that fits our mold to be available.

Maybe Wenger? He's not getting anywhere at Arsenal and it might be hard for him to reject a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has spoken glowingly about Gerardo Martino following the emergence of his fellow Argentinian as the favourite to succeed Tito Vilanova in the Nou Camp hot-seat.

Sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta is reportedly in Buenos Aires today for talks with Martino, who led Newell's Old Boys to the Argentinian Clausura title last season but recently severed ties with the club.

And four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi would appear to support such an appointment.

He told Diario Ole: 'I like Tata Martino. He is a great coach and he showed that in the Clausura with what he did for the team, the way it ended and how he did it. He gets his teams playing well and we all respect him.'

The Catalan club announced on Friday night that 44-year-old Vilanova was stepping down as he continues his battle with cancer.

Former Paraguay coach Martino has been heavily tipped to take over ahead of the likes of Andre Villas-Boas, Michael Laudrup, Marcelo Bielsa, Luis Enrique and Rubi.

Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman ruled himself out of contention to succeed Vilanova after yesterday's pre-season friendly draw against Dordrecht.

Quoted in the Dutch press, the former Barca and Holland defender said: 'That is absolutely not on the cards for me.

'I do not know who it should be. It's not something that affects me now. I'm more worried about the disease Vilanova has.'

Barca president Sandro Rosell said on Friday night that the club expect to make an announcement on Vilanova's replacement in the coming days.



Gerardo Martino is set to fly in for talks with Barcelona on Monday as the Catalans step up their search for a replacement for outgoing coach Tito Vilanova, who stepped down to continue treatment for cancer on Friday.

Martino has cancelled his holidays and will travel to Barcelona to continue negotiations with the Spanish champions, although the club also remain interested in recruiting their former player and B-team coach Luis Enrique from Celta Vigo.

Luis Enrique's arrival is complicated by the fact that he only joined Celta earlier this summer and is curently designing a new project for the Galician side ahead of the 2013-14 season. Barca would have to pay a €3 million release clause to sign their former midfielder, who played 300 games in Blaugrana colours and coached the club's B team between 2008 and 2011.

Former Paraguay and Newell's Old Boys coach Martino is the preferred choice of Lionel Messi and recently revealed his admiration for Barcelona's passing game. The Argentine will fly in for talks with sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta on Monday and could be unveiled by Barca as early as Tuesday if negotiations are successful.

Meanwhile, Celta claim they have had no contact from Barca regarding Luis Enrique, who resumes training with the Galician side on Monday after using his day off on Sunday to participate in a cycle ride with former Barca goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzue. "I'm exercising my legs and my head," the 43-year-old later wrote on Twitter.

Whatever happens, Jordi Roura will take charge of Barca's friendly against Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich side on Wednesday.



Official: Martino to be appointed as Messi's assistant

M99 wrote:

Try 11 months.

Why do people still read this crap?

Yohan Modric wrote:

Khaled wrote:

Yohan Modric wrote:Do Barca have any past connection with Martino?

Tata and Messi both from Rosario and started youth career at Newell's old boys

Not sure that's a good enough reason for him to be a candidate.

Sure its not a good reason, just an interesting info...
I prefer Enrique.

Hiddink

Rumor has it that an agreement has been met between Barcelona and "Tata" Martino

Tata is best friends with Messi's father

RealGunner wrote:Tata is best friends with Messi's father

If he has been hired because he's close to the superstar's family , then it's a BIG mistake

Nah lol, it's a seperate fact.


Great article on Tata Martino

http://ilikefootballme.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/like-a-lepra-messiah/

awesome news!

          I've seen my fair share of Newell's and Paraguay games under Martino, so I can tell you a bit about him. Tata is a Bielsista, who loves his pressing, he likes to play with possession too mostly, though I've seen his teams play counter-attacking when necessary as well, and it still usually worked to great effect. His tactics are very free-flowing and flexible and he is pretty tactically astute himself. It will be interesting to see how high of a line he is willing to play with this team. Also is a good man-manager and motivator I've heard.

         He really physically pushes his players though, we will have to wait and see how that has an effect throughout the course of the season. However he's had fantastic results with Paraguay and Newell's, he was probably one of the best if not the best coach in south america. However, he doesn't have the experience in europe or experience under the pressure of coaching one of the best clubs in the world.

Anyway I think it's a great match, as we all have noted the past couple seasons Barca has started to stop playing so physically and have been outputting less and less pressure as time goes on. We saw how Bayern bullied Barca, I think Tata can bring this team back to it's roots.

So much better than Luis Enrique or whoever else Barcas board were thinking of, imo

also if anyone was wondering Ive been on vacation in argentina for the past month, I am back now though

from tito to tata

Anyway i find the hole thing very strange. I mean he denies both offers from la real and malaga because he wants to stay at newells. He then leaves. tito gets sick. Tata is hired.

Was he planning on leaving newells at the end of the season?

Rebaño Sagrado wrote:from tito to tata

Anyway i find the hole thing very strange. I mean he denies both offers from la real and malaga because he wants to stay at newells. He then leaves. tito gets sick. Tata is hired.

Was he planning on leaving newells at the end of the season?

I was about to say that!!! But it seems a good appointment. And I'm sure he didn't get hired simply because he is close to Messi and co. I was hoping for Bielsa but I'm still interested to see what Tata will do. With Tito we have an idea of what we would've done, but I doubt we'll have the record breaking beginning of La Liga that we did with him. Still I'm now interested to see if Tata sticks with the 4-3-3.

Luis Enrique

'Tata' Martino will certainly be an interesting appointment. I'm very much looking forward to seeing him imprint his identity on the club. Bear in mind, I know virtually nothing about Tata other than he's not already involved in the Barcelona/La Massia lineage. THis in-and-of-itself is reason enough to pay attention. As others have said, we knew pretty much what to expect when Tito took over, but now... Who knows? I'm obviously not expecting total overhaul, but the obvious "Pep" signature of the recent past will almost certainly be missing.

Lionel Messi to be appointed DoF / player role.

Tika Tata

Might just be me.. but I think decision to appoint Martino was taken way back.

Official, Tata Martino is the new coach.

Wow.... well at least frm what I am reading so far, he seems very experienced as a player and manager, and quite successful too. Obviously the concern is it was all in SA, and Barca in Europe is completely different ?

Im not so sure he can step up and manage such a top club successfully... it will be Barca with him vs Ancelotti's Real?

Just wonder how much the 2 new managers will influence the 2 teams... I pray that he is good enough.... at least it sounds like a "steadying the ship" or "calming" type of manager Barca got? And Im not so sure if that is a good thing when we have some issues to resolve still in our game...

Looks like Pepcelona is officially over now  

Rosell

Dat madridista

I actually think this is a good for them tbh.

At least from what i read he favours intense pressing, vertical passing, high line and 4-3-3.....

Barca needed a kick up the backside and someone who can whip them into shape tactically and physically.

From what i read this guy will probably do that.

Although i do question whether some of Barca players are physically capable of the intense pressing that will come so rotation will be key ( Xavi especially)

I also hear he adapts well so that is a good thing too as i don't believe Barca can keep playing the same way as Xavi is the way they play and no one can replace him so a tactical change will be key.

Will see how it goes i for one am actually looking forward to La Liga next season, lots of change will breed a fresh on look for neutrals.

mole are you still a barca fan?

I never was i just like to watch them play when its not turgid pass between the back 4 turgid shit.

I'm more of a sympathizer than a fan

Although i can't say i'm a neutral either as i do like to follow them more than a standard neutral.

Will always only be Newcastle, as shit as we are