Martino and Newell’s Old Boys past glories: Inter Miami reunion includes Messi memories

The Argentine manager has a love story with La Lepra and on Thursday they will face each other from Fort Lauderdale.

Diego Mayel Ibarradiegoibarra21Estados UnidosUpdate: Feb 15th, 2024 05:31 EST0

Newell's

While most of the spotlight for the Inter Miami – Newell’s Old Boys match is, unsurprisingly on Lionel Messi, the man who holds a greater history of love with the Argentine club is Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino. Martino became a legendary player for La Lepra and was the one who guided them to their last Argentine League title in mid-2013, in a tournament where they were the protagonists ahead of the famous River Plate.

Encuentro leproso en Miami ❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/Lz3AoO8pen

— Newell’s Old Boys (@Newells) February 14, 2024

Martino success with Newell’s Old Boys

The championship in which they finished leaders of the Argentine first division was Martino’s last before moving to FC Barcelona for the 2013-14 season, so he couldn’t have found a better way to bid farewell to the team that calls Estadio Marcelo Bielsa home. After managing Argentina, Atlanta United, and Mexico, this preseason friendly with the Herons provides him with a reunion filled with emotions.

The outlook for a much-needed positive MLS campaign for the Fort Lauderdale franchise is somewhat complicated for Tata, but they must approach the last preparation match with the utmost seriousness. This is a game where the 61-year-old coach needs to solidify his pieces for the opening fixture of Major League Soccer 2024 against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday 21 February.

Leprosos mlseros. 🔴⚫️Varios jugadores con historia en @Newells han pasado por nuestra liga en el transcurso de los años.

— MLS Español (@MLSes) February 15, 2024