Tata Martino appointed Inter Miami head coach, set for Lionel Messi reunion

Former Argentina manager Tata Martino has been appointed Inter Miami's new head coach.

He joins the club while awaiting his visa confirmation.

Martino will reunite with Lionel Messi, whom he coached during his time in charge of the national team between 2014 and 2016.

Messi announced earlier this month that he had opted to join the Major League Soccer side, despite interest from Barcelona and Saudi Arabia.

Martino has previous in MLS, having coached Atlanta United for two years following his departure from the Argentina national team.

He was Atlanta's inaugural coach after they joined the league in 2016, leading the team to the MLS Cup in 2018, before leaving for personal reasons.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, he said: “MLS is my weakness.

“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.”

Martino went on to coach Mexico in 2019 and won the CONCACAF Gold Cup later that year.

But the team struggled at the 2022 World Cup and were eliminated at the group stage for the first time in 28 years, finishing behind Argentina and Poland in Group C. Martino subsequently left his role after his contract expired.

Inter Miami have been without a head coach since Phil Neville's sacking at the start of June. The Florida side won only 15 points from 15 games and were bottom of the Eastern Conference when Neville left his role.

Martino on MLS, Messi and more

Martino lifted the lid on his time with Mexico, his love for MLS and a possible Messi reunion during an interview with The Athletic's Felipe Cardenas in April.

“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.”