Former Barcelona manager reflects on his time at the club: “Hardest year of my career”

Speaking in an interview with Catalunya Radio (h/t Mundo Deportivo), former Barcelona manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has admitted that his year at the club was perhaps the toughest period in his managerial career.

Martino, who is now the manager of Inter Miami FC, was appointed by Barcelona at the start of the 2013/14 campaign.

However, it was a disappointing season for the Catalan giants as they finished second in La Liga, failed to win the Copa del Rey, and were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stages.

Martino came under immense criticism for the Blaugrana’s underperformance and was relieved of his duties once the season was over.

Looking back at his short stint with Barcelona, the 60-year-old has admitted that it was the toughest year of his career and that he did not have the experience needed to manage such a big club at the time.

“I didn’t adequately measure what it is like to coach Barça and that came at a heavy price. It was the hardest year of my career. I wasn’t aware of everything that this challenge entailed,” Martino said.

“I had not been a player at Barça, nor at Boca or River, and I ended up paying a high price for my inexperience to coach in one of these big leagues.”

After leaving Barcelona, Martino had a stint as the manager of the Argentine national team before going on to coach Atlanta United in the MLS. The 60-year-old also had a spell as the manager of Mexico before taking over the reins of Inter Miami last month.

In Miami, Martino has been reunited with three of his former Barcelona wards in Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. Talking about their presence in the team, he said:

“We are in the middle of the season, with a squad undergoing changes and the hope that this generates. We have to finish rebuilding the team and give it a footballing shape. And that creates a great attraction.”

There are rumours that another Barcelona legend, Andres Iniesta, could end up joining Martino’s Inter Miami side.

On being probed about the former Spanish international, the manager did not give away much but stated that Iniesta was one of the best players he had ever trained.

“Iniesta is one of the best players and best people I have ever coached. Nothing more to say,” he said.