Gerardo “Tata” Martino had an up and down stint as the head coach of the Mexican national team. The 60-year-old Argentine’s record stands at a respectable 42-12-12 but hidden in that record is a first round exit of the 2022 World Cup and two brutal continental cup final defeats to the USMNT.
Martino’s time in ElTri can best be summed up as, divisive. His time as manager was heavily questioned by greats like Hugo Sanchez and would hit a brick wall when injuries to his key players would result in poor personal decisions.
Still, Martino has made an assessment about the Mexican player and things he saw while he was coaching ElTri. Martino spoke to the Olfato de Gol podcast and did not hold back.
Tata Martino on Mexican soccer player
“How is it that the Mexican transfer market has players internally worth eight, ten or 12 million dollars and those same players have no outlet abroad?” Martino asked. “The value here is one and abroad it practically doesn’t exist.” Martino questioned the overvalued internal market of the Mexican player and how that limits the chance of said players moving to Europe, which the former coach saw as key to push the program further.
Martino also pointed out that sometimes young players are sold too quickly when they haven’t had time to truly establish themselves, “Many times there’s talk of players that at a young age or without much experience in the first division go to European soccer, but rarely do the alarms go off when these players, two or three years [later], are back in the Mexican market,” said Martino.
Gerardo Martino, Head Coach of Mexico, reacts during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Saudi Arabia and Mexico at Lusail Stadium on November 30, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
When it comes to the USMNT and Major League Soccer, Martino was the coach of Atlanta United prior to becoming Mexican national coach, the Argentine sees a path forward, much better than that of Liga MX and Mexico.
“I notice a desire to have a very competitive league, to improve it year after year, and then what I also notice is the fact that American soccer players are exported to Europe, it’s something that’s part of the development policy. Undoubtedly that’s good for the [United States men’s] national team,” Martino said. “More and more transfer to Europe and you have them playing in the best teams in the best leagues in Europe.”
