Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino declares his love of MLS and speaks about a possible move for Messi

Gerardo Martino left it very clear that he will never close the door on a return to MLS, given his happy past experiences at Atlanta United. The ex-Mexico manager won the MLS Cup in 2018 with Atlanta, as well as being named coach of the year in the same season.

In an interview with The Athletic, the coach admitted that he has a soft spot for the league ever since his brief stint there. He would not be drawn into potential offers or suggestions of which team he would want to manage, but a clear love for the country’s football was there to see.

‘MLS is my weakness’ says Martino

“MLS is my weakness,” Martino said. “I was part of an extraordinary project with Atlanta United that had a clear direction, a lot of communication and similar objectives that were established very quickly and executed. After coaching in MLS, I became attracted to it. I like the league. The possibility of returning to MLS is always there.”

He did not stop when probe further about going back to North America,, although he was fully aware that any move would require a solid project behind it: “You have to know who you’re going to work with and what the project is all about. From there you can get on the same page. MLS excites me. The season is just getting started but I’ve tried to follow it as much as I can. It’s a league that I’d go back to someday.”

Martino on Messi and MLS

Martino was also asked about a potential move to MLS for World Cup winner, Lionel Messi, who happens to have grown up supporting the same team as Martino, Newell’s Old Boys, in Rosario. However, the boss was coy when answering, preferring to steer away from players, coaches and teams that are currently in the middle of their respective seasons.

“In MLS, a league that continues to take steps forward, and one that seeks a level of excellence any time it makes changes, to welcome the best player in the world would be incredibly impactful”, he said.