Tata Martino has reportedly left Inter Miami after failing to win the MLS Cup in Lionel Messi’s first full season with the team.
According to GiveMeSport, the decision is Martino’s and he has cited personal reasons for his departure.
It means David Beckham must now find a new coach to rebuild the team for next season, where Messi and his men will also compete in the Club World Cup.
Miami fell from the MLS Cup in early November against Atlanta United, despite being a big favorite to lift the trophy.
In addition to having Messi at his disposal, Martino’s squad was also reinforced by the arrival of Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets alongside the world champion from Argentina.
Miami won the Eastern Conference this season with 74 points in 34 games, a league record.
Tata Martino is out of Inter Miami after failing to win the MLS Cup with Lionel Messi
Martino replaced Phil Neville as Miami coach in June 2023, shortly before Messi’s long-awaited arrival in Major League Soccer, with the team in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Later that season, Martino led Miami to Leagues Cup glory, the team’s first trophy since its founding in 2018. They beat Nashville on penalties in Tennessee.
They narrowly missed the playoffs that year, despite Messi’s mid-season arrival sparking a dramatic improvement in their form.
Messi has one more season guaranteed in his contract with Miami, worth around $150 million in total, but there is an option for one more year.
Miami, with the star power of Messi and Beckham, will no doubt chase some of the biggest names in the game ahead of another big season ahead.
In addition to their inevitable ambition to right the wrongs of the 2024 campaign, their place in the Club World Cup has come under scrutiny due to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s unclear criteria for granting the team a place in the tournament.
They appear to have been given a spot in the expanded 32-team tournament for winning the Supporters’ Shield, the trophy for the team with the best regular-season record, even though they did not finish the season with the main trophy up for grabs. . .
Miami will host the tournament’s opening match, which begins June 15.