Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who arrived at Inter Miami at the same time as Lionel Messi after coaching the soccer icon at Barcelona and with the Argentina national team, has reportedly left the MLS club due to personal reasons after the club’s stunning defeat to Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs. GiveMeSport first reported Martino’s departure.

Inter Miami entered the 2024 season, its first full campaign with the 36-year-old Messi on the squad following his July 2023 arrival, as the overwhelming favorite to win the MLS Cup. Messi was joined on the roster by fellow Barcelona legends Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez as well as several promising young players such as Benjamin Cremaschi.

The regular season was a success, as Inter Miami won the Supporter’s Shield with an MLS record 74 points despite an early-year extended injury absence from Messi, but the run came to a shockingly early finish in early November at the hands of an Atlanta United team that finished with just 40 points.

Martino was seen as an ideal fit to lead the talented Miami squad not only due to his connection to Messi — with whom he shares the hometown of Rosario, Argentina — but also his past success in the MLS, where he led Atlanta to a 2018 MLS Cup title in the club’s third season of existence. 

Now, a new coach will look to maximize Miami’s veteran core as it remains to be seen how much more the 37-year-old Messi and his three close friends and teammates — all of whom are also 35 or older — have left in the tank.

There are tentative plans for a Friday news conference with Martino and team officials. Inter Miami was eliminated in the first round of this year’s MLS Cup playoffs, and won’t gather for training camp to start the 2025 season until January.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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