It’s official, Gerardo Martino is the new coach of FC Barcelona. Relatively unknown in Europe, Tata is a Bielsa without madness. A guy who loves the short and good looking game. A good coach for Barca? We’ll see.

Martino will have to put his admiration for Messi aside and learn how to manage the egos of the Barca stars, including the new kid on the block Neymar. Only time will tell…

Vilas Boas? Too expensive. Luis Enrique? Too complicated. Hiddink? Too Dutch. Bielsa? Too crazy. Barca has chosen to fall back on the easy solution: Tata Martino. An Argentine coach inexperienced in Europe and unknown to the general public. Before signing for the Blaugrana, the name of Martino had already circulated in the offices of Malaga, Real Sociedad or Colo-colo (Chile).

Absolute fan of Guardiola

At first glance, it is said that Tata replacing Tito looks like a good joke. At first sight only. For Martino, beyond being the most economical solution that presented itself to Zubizareta the athletic director, the coach is more likely to continue with Cruyfist philosophy brought up to date by Guardiola years ago . When he took over Newell’s Old Boys, the club who trained Lionel Messi was on the verge of relegation. Like all current Argentine clubs, it had no identity game, a rickety collective and concept of the show relative.

Tata Martino is a huge fan of Pep Guardiola

In the doldrums of Albiceleste football, Newell’s Old Boys is a bad boy again. Martino out of a rather successful spell with the Paraguayan selection experience will change everything. Whoever then considered an “absolute fan of Barca and Guardiola” transposes the blaugrana formula to his new team. The beginnings are difficult, but over time, Newell’s quickly became the most attractive (and interesting) team to see play in Argentina.

In the current state of things, Martino is a good compromise between Bielsa and Pep. If he is not as charismatic as the Catalan nor as radical as Bielsa, Martino option offers the possibility to Barca always continue a cycle that no one in Catalonia wants to see extinguished. Martino, known for its hot blood, will be responsible for reviving a flame that had threatened to shut down permanently with absences and strokes to repeat the unfortunate Vilanova.

Martino will have to put his admiration for Messi aside and learn how to manage the egos of the Barca stars, including the new kid on the block Neymar. Only time will tell…

Remains to see whether he has really what it takes  A few months ago, Tata told the Fox Sports that he would ” find it difficult to give instructions to Messi. He does everything well. “Renowned meticulous, obsessive, and close to the players, Martino will have to put his admiration for Messi aside and learn how to manage the egos of the Barca stars, including the new kid on the block Neymar. Only time will tell…