Atlanta United has a new coach, and he’s very familiar to the team’s fans.
On Thursday, the club named Gerardo “Tata” Martino as the Atlanta United head coach, signing him to a contract through the 2027 MLS season.
Martino was the team’s first head coach, led the club to an MLS Cup in 2018, and won the league’s coach of the year that season.
In a statement, team owner Arthur M. Blank described Martino as a “steward of our club’s values with a proven leadership record.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Tata back to Atlanta United,” Blank said. “Tata is an exceptional manager who set the standard for excellence within our club and helped establish our identity in Major League Soccer. Since then, he has continued to achieve success on the global stage. There is a lot of work to do for us to get back to championship form. This moment is not about revisiting the past but about looking ahead and building a new foundation while embracing the continuing evolution of what it takes to contend in MLS on a regular basis.”
Megan Briggs / Getty Images
In his 25 years of coaching, the 62-year-old Martino had led teams both nationally and in Spain, Paraguay, Argentina, and Mexico. He most recently managed Inter Miami CF, where he led the team to a level of regular-season success never seen in the league’s history.
“I want to thank Arthur and Chris for the opportunity to return to the club and a city where we hold wonderful memories and maintain great relationships,” Martino said. “This is a different project than my first stint with the club, however, with great ownership and the collaboration of the players, coaching staff, and everyone at the club, our objective will always be to form a winning team that makes our fans feel proud and well-represented every time that they go to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”
Martino is replacing coach Ronny Deila, who was dismissed after one season.
Atlanta hasn’t claimed a trophy since the 2019 season, when it captured both the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup in addition to making a run to the MLS Eastern Conference final.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
