Messi, Inter Miami bow out of playoffs in decisive game vs. Atlanta (1:49)
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are knocked out of the MLS playoffs after a tightly-contested game against Atlanta United. (1:49)
Lizzy Becherano
Nov 19, 2024, 03:24 PM ET
Gerardo “Tata” Martino has left his post as head coach of Inter Miami CFsources tell ESPN, leaving the club for personal reasons despite having a year remaining on his contract.
The former Barcelona and Mexico coach will address the media in a final news conference on Friday, Nov. 22, alongside co-owner Jorge Mas and president of football operations Raúl Sanllehi.
Martino is set to depart just weeks after Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were eliminated from the first round of the MLS playoffs after falling to No. 9 seed Atlanta United FC in the best-of-three series.
The Argentine coach joined Inter Miami in June of 2023, taking over for former manager Phil Neville. In just over a year and a half, he led Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup trophy, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and set the league record for most points recorded in a single season during the 2024 campaign.
Despite seeing success during the regular season, Inter Miami struggled in the Concacaf Champions Cup, losing to Monterrey in the quarterfinals, and exited the 2024 Leagues Cup in the round of 16.
His hiring was one in a series of major moves for the club — along with the signings of, among others, Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.
Martino coached Atlanta United to an MLS championship in 2018, winning the league’s coach of the year award that season. This year, even with Messi missing basically half the MLS season because of injuries and commitments to Argentina’s national team, Martino led Inter Miami to a level of regular-season success never seen in the league’s history.
Inter Miami finished with 74 points, one more than New England had in its record-setting season in 2021. At 22-4-8 in league play, Inter Miami finished the season with a .765 winning percentage for another MLS record. Inter Miami also became the eighth team in MLS history to get through a regular season with only four losses, tying another record.
“I want to say to our coach, Tata: thank you very much for an incredible season,” Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said to Martino in the on-field ceremony after the regular season ended and the Supporters Shield — which was previously clinched — was hoisted again. “Thank you to your staff … gracias.”
The next Inter Miami coach will have a hectic 2025. It’s likely the team will venture out on another international preseason tour, like it did this season. There’s also the 34-match MLS slate and Inter Miami will be one of the teams in the Club World Cup that starts in June as well.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.