La Liga champions Barcelona are expected to announce Gerardo 'Tata' Martino as their new head coach in the coming days.
Reports in the Spanish media claim Martino, who most recently was head coach of Argentine Primera Division outfit Newell's Old Boys before stepping down earlier this month, has signed a three-year deal to replace Tito Vilanova.The former Newell's Old Boys manager will come to the Catalan club accompanied by two of his regular aides, Elvio Paolorroso and Jorge Pautasso.
Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, soon to be Braca's new coach
The South American manager will take over at Barça after Tito Vilanova was forced to step down because he could not combine the treatment which he is undergoing in his fight against cancer with the workload.There had been some last-minute speculation that Barcelona might appoint Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, who resigned from his post at Russian club Anzhi this afternoon.Barca star Lionel Messi, who played youth football for Newell's, has already backed Martino as a prime candidate to take over at the Catalan club, and the 50-year-old Argentine coach is seen to be the perfect option to continue the side's football philosophyOne year ago, in August 2012, Leo Messi expressed his admiration for 'Tata' Martino in the Argentinean newspaper 'Olé'. At the time, he had only been the Newell's manager for six months and the team was yet to achieve the success which it managed in 2013."I like Tata Martino. He's a great manager and we saw what he did for the team in the 'Clausura', they way it finished and how he managed it. He took the team, made it play well and everyone respects him," said the Argentinean star about 'Tata', one of his father's footballing idols.Martino's appointment received Leo Messi's blessing, but he is not his only supporter. Zubizarreta has also heard Marcelo Bielsa say great things about the Argentinean manager. What is more, Tata and Sandro Rosell know each other. Martino met the current president when he was the Paraguay manager, and the two have a good relationship.
With Vilanova having stepped down as Barcelona coach on Friday due to his continuing treatment for cancer, the Catalan club made it clear they wanted to find a replacement quickly and Martino's availability has taken him to the top of the list.Barcelona were also reportedly interested in Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde but that duo have recently signed with Celta Vigo and Athletic Bilbao respectively, ruling them out of contention.Martino, who stepped down as Newell's boss after they were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores on July 10, led the Rosario-based club to the Torneo Final championship, as the second half of the Argentine football season is called, in June.The Rosario-born coach is considered a disciple of highly-rated Argentine tactician Marcelo Bielsa, who most recently coached Athletic Bilbao, and Martino has praised Barcelona's possession-based attacking style of play.