GettyOwner Jorge Mas wants to extend Messi, says he 'would fully expect' the Argentine on the roster for stadium opening in 2026
As expected, Inter Miami confirmed Friday that manager Tata Martino is leaving the club, with the 62-year-old Argentine citing "personal reasons" for his departure.
“It has been an honor to work at such a special club, and to lead such a special team," Martino said at a news conference, alongside managing owner Jorge Mas and president of football operations Rail Sanllehi. "I’ve enjoyed my stay at Inter Miami and will treasure the memories made and relationships forged here for the rest of my life. I depart with nothing but gratitude for my time here and would like to offer sincere thanks to everyone that made it possible.
"For strictly personal reasons, I have to leave Inter. I can’t come back next year, I need to be in Rosario."
The news comes weeks after Miami, the 2024 Supporters' Shield winners and No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, crashed out of the postseason in the opening round, falling to Atlanta United.
The club is embarking on a journey to find their next manager, while preparing for 2025 and the years beyond. While they did not confirm reports that Miami is set to hire Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi's former Argentina and Barcelona teammate, as Martino's replacement, Mas and Sanllehi spoke about what the future of the club looks like, the status of Messi's contract, and ambitions for the organization.
