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Report: Gerardo Martino turns down Club America amid negotiations with Atlanta United

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Atlanta United received some positive news in their managerial search ahead of their inaugural 2017 season.

Spanish site AS is reporting that Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has turned down an offer from Club America to continue negotiations to take charge of the new MLS team. America has been searching for a new manager since dismissing Ignacio Ambríz several weeks ago, but will have to look elsewhere as Martino appears to prefer taking over the upcoming MLS team.

Martino, along with former Seattle Sounders manager Sigi Schmid, has been linked with the head coaching position at Atlanta United for the past weeks, including interviewing with the club last week.

Reports state that a deal is close enough to completion that Martino has begun drawing up a potential coaching staff to accompany him to Atlanta.

The former Barcelona and Argentina manager has been on the market since resigning after Argentina’s Copa America final defeat this summer. There was sure to be interest in the prominent manager, but Atlanta United appear to have a leg-up on the competition with this news.

Comments

  1. lets put ourselves in Tata’s shoes for a second – why in the hell would he want to make a move to an expansion side in MLS? can somebody please outline this for me?

    Reply
    • Well one is money, I would think AUFC are backing up a brinks truck for him, if not two.

      Second is maybe he is looking for a different kind of challenge. He has spoke in the past about he does not like that teams can spend whatever they want for players. Perhaps the idea of salary cap league intrigues him. Where it will be his tactical philosophy that separates his team for the pack and not just having the biggest pocket book.

      A third reason could be wanting to experience a new culture and test himself in a place that does things differently than what is used to. To expand his horizons.

      Reply
      • Well said. I was going to respond with same points, but you beat me to it.
        To me, if I am a manager that wants to prove that I am better than others (as opposed to winning because your team on paper is by far stronger), MLS is a great platform for that. So is Liga MX of course, and so it taking Stoke to Champions League, for example.

      • I would also add job security. teams like America if things don’t go well he might be out of work in 6 months or less. Now in Atlanta he should get easily 2-3 years until he gets canned if things don’t go the way it’s suppose to.

    • Money and culture. That’s the equation for every “big name” signing in MLS. Doubt he will come to MLS, coaches usually take the best job in the best league they can. Also, no amount of success in MLS has proven to be a significant coaching launching pad, and that’s got to weigh on his mind.

      Reply
      • The guy has coached for Newell’s, Barca, and the Argentina National team I think if he wanted a bigger job down the line he could get it if he wanted. And he turned down Club America and has yet to turn down Atlanta, that seems to me to show he wants the job.

    • At what point do people treat MLS like a real league?

      Serious question.

      MLS offers so much, US, competitive league, money is starting to flow in. Then someone acts like anyone would be a fool to play soccer here/coach soccer here/watch soccer here.

      It is happening people, get over it. Except it. Embrace it even. If you don’t feel like it has happened, it will. Atlanta could be, not saying they will be, as big as the Sounders. Find another team drawing that many people world wide, then ask, outside of the huge teams, if you want to coach there.

      Reply
  2. I would love to see this happen! Tata’s teams aren’t much on the defensive side of the ball – Bocanegra could help in that regard – but his teams play a very entertaining high pressure game with short passing and movement. I wouldn’t call it a possession style as his teams counter quickly but it is certainly intriguing if his style can pay off in MLS.

    Reply

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