Five things you need to know about new Barcelona manager Martino

Barcelona appointed Argentinian Gerardo Martino as their new manager after Tito Vilanova left his post due to his battle with cancer. Martino has been given a three-year deal at the La Liga champions and is the latest South American manager to start a career in Europe.

Here are a few facts about the man in the Barca hot-seat:

He’s no Nelson Mandela, but he’s still called ‘Tata’: Tito out, Tata in. Martino’s shares his pet-name with legendary South African politician and activist Nelson Mandela. Tata is the Xhosa word for father, and maybe Martino got it because of his approach to his players. About how much of a father figure he can be to Barcelona players, only time will tell.

He played for Barcelona… erm, not quite: There is another club nestled in Guayaquil - Ecuador called Barcelona, where Martino spent part of the 1996 season. As for experience in Europe, he just had one season at Spanish club Tenerife in 1991.He made his Tenerife debut at Nou Camp in a 1-0 defeat to the Spanish Barcelona. And guess what, the man who hired him, Andioni Zubizaretta, was playing for Barcelona at the time.

The Messi connection: Martino has made no secret of the influence Lionel Messi had on his appointment as manager. Martino, just like the Messis, comes from Argentinian city Rosario and enjoyed a brilliant career at Newell’s Old Boys, where he played more than 500 games. In fact, in a fan poll back in 2003, Tata Martino was voted as their greatest ever player.  Messi’s boyhood club was also Newell’s, from where Barca snapped him up. The No 10 gave the new manager a glowing reference: “He is great. I’ve seen what he’s achieved with the team. He’s got them playing well and everyone respects him.”

No experience of managing in Europe: Martino is a bit of a traveller when it comes to jobs. He started off in Argentina with Arrecifes and went on to manage seven clubs in eight years. The big job came with Paraguay who he took to World Cup 2010 and gave Spain a good game in the spectacle. His latest job was back at his former club — Newell’s, and they reached the Copa Libertadores semis with him at the helm. His honours include three Argentine Primiera Division titles, four Paraguayan Primiera Divison titles and a South American Coach of the Year award.

His own boss: Unlike many managers, Martino does not have an agent. This means he chooses his own assignments and negotiates contracts himself. However, Barca fans will hope he can deal with agents — them being so influential in football’s dealings.