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Departing head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Friday that he is leaving Inter Miami CF with “nothing but gratitude.”

Martino confirmed reports that he was voluntarily leaving his position due to personal reasons and said he is returning to his native Argentina.

Per Inter Miami, the club’s search for a new head coach is underway and is “expected to conclude in the near future.” Multiple outlets, however, reported that Argentina under-20 coach Javier Mascherano will be named as the head coach of Inter Miami for the 2025 season.

Martino guided the Lionel Messi-starring club to 74 points (22-4-8) and the Supporters’ Shield in the regular season, but Inter Miami fell short in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The club was eliminated in the first round by No. 9 seed Atlanta United. Martino said he made his decision to step down prior to the team’s loss to Atlanta.

“It has been an honor to work at such a special club and to lead such a special team,” Martino said Friday. “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 who made it possible.”

Martino, 61, joined Inter Miami in June 2023 after three-plus years at the helm of Mexico’s national team. He left that role after Mexico failed to advance out of group play in the 2022 World Cup for the first time in nearly 45 years.

Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup 2023 tournament after the arrival of Martino and superstars Messi and Sergio Busquets that summer.

“Tata will forever have a special place in Inter Miami history,” Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. “He guided us through a period of transformation and brought us our first titles in the process, which is what we aspire to as an ambitious organization. More importantly, he led Inter Miami with the unimpeachable class and professionalism. His contributions to our club have been immense, and we thank him for that, but above all, for who he is as a human being.”

Previously, Martino led Atlanta United to the MLS Cup title in 2018. He chose not to renew his contract after that season, again citing personal reasons.

Mascherano, 40, coached Argentina at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the team losing in the quarterfinals. He was a longtime teammate of Messi both internationally and with FC Barcelona.

–Field Level Media