Things haven’t gone to plan for Gerardo “Tata” Martino in his return to Atlanta United so far, as the team heads into the 2026 World Cup break sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference standings with 11 points. Is the return of club icon Josef Martinez what the roster needs?
Bolavip got to ask Martino about the possibility of a reunion in Atlanta following his team’s 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew on Sunday.
“The truth is that I have a lot of affection for the group we worked with in Atlanta during 2017-18. Probably every player from that era who’s still active is something to watch, to pay attention to,” Martino responded to Bolavip during his postgame media availability.
“We haven’t sat down with the front office yet to know in which situation we find ourselves in. It’s a position where we already have Emmanuel Latte Lath as DP, we have other strikers in Cayman (Togashi) and Sergio Santos, and I also use Aleksei Miranchuk as striker,” added Martino, who left the door open for Martinez despite Atlanta’s current situation.
𝟭𝟱𝟴 games. 𝟭𝟭𝟭 goals. 𝟰 trophies.
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) January 18, 2023
It's been an honor, @JosefMartinez17 👑#ATLUTD announces it has released Josef Martínez.
“Therefore, it’s a position that is already crowded with players, and today I shouldn’t have a positive answer. But well, I won’t rule it out because Josef is a natural-born goalscorer. He’s a player I know well and he’s active in an important league like the Mexican league.“
Josef Martinez reportedly hitting free agency
Earlier in the week, Felipe Cardenas of The Athletic reported that the Venezuelan striker has mutually parted ways with Liga MX side Club Tijuana, adding that Martinez would welcome a return to MLS.
Martinez, who turned 33 on May 19, has recorded only one goal in 9 appearances (one start) since moving to Mexico in January. That may explain why he could become a free agent during the upcoming World Cup break.
Martino, Atlanta have great memories of Josef Martinez
The Venezuelan’s connection with Martino and Atlanta may matter more than his recent numbers. Martinez played an instrumental role in the team’s 2018 MLS Cup win under Tata, winning both MLS MVP and Golden Boot with 35 goals in 38 games.
Martinez left an indelible mark in Atlanta, ending a five-year stint in 2022 with 111 goals in 158 appearances. He stayed in MLS, playing for Inter Miami (2023), CF Montreal (2024), and San Jose Earthquakes (2025) before trying his luck in Liga MX, but none of those teams saw him at his best like Atlanta did. Now it could be a good moment for one last dance.
