Barcelona today confirmed that Gerardo Martino is set to sign a two-year contract to replace Tito Vilanova.
Martino, who led Newell’s Old Boys to the Argentinian Clausura title last season, said in his Twitter account: ‘A new stage begins in Barcelona. It is an honour to coach the most prestigious team in the world.»
On Friday the club had announced that Vilanova was stepping down after a recurrence of his throat cancer.
«FC Barcelona have reached an agreement to appoint Gerardo Martino as the new coach of the football team for the next two seasons. This agreement is pending the drafting and signing of the contract,» a club statement read.
A number of coaches had been linked with the vacancy at the Liga champions, including Luis Enrique, Andre Villas-Boas, Marcelo Bielsa, Michael Laudrup and Guus Hiddink, who resigned as coach of Anzhi Makhachkala on Monday.
The club said this morning that Martino’s flights will be organised in the coming hours and the contract would be signed on his arrival, before Barca officially present their new coach.
Martino, who is also known as ‘Tata’, will become the fourth Argentine to take the reins at the Camp Nou, following in the footsteps of Roque Olsen, Helenio Herrera and Cesar Luis Menotti.
Sport claims that Barca’s new boss will bring over three members of his coaching staff – assistant Jorge Pautasso, fitness expert Elvio Paolorroso and Adrian Coria, a coach who trained Leo Messi during his time at Newell’s youth academy.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald