Martino named Argentina coach

Argentina named former Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino as the new manager of the national soccer team on Tuesday following Alejandro Sabella’s decision to step aside in the wake of their World Cup final defeat in July.

Martino, who won the Argentine league title with Newell's Old Boys in June 2013 before taking the reins at Barca, will make his debut in a Sept 3 friendly against Germany in Duesseldorf. The Germans beat Argentina 1-0 after extra-time in the World Cup final at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana on July 13, after which Sabella decided against accepting the offer of a new contract from late AFA President Julio Grondona.

“The Rosario-born coach Gerardo Daniel Martino will take office as the new coach of the national team, succeeding Mr Alejandro Sabella, who completed his contract with the AFA after the end of the World Cup Brazil 2014,” the Argentine FA (AFA) said in a statement on its official website.

Martino was enjoying the early days of a sabbatical after a disappointing season at Barcelona where he took the job left vacant when Tito Vilanova stepped down to undergo cancer treatment. Vilanova died in April at the age of 45. He got off to a good start at Barca but injuries to key players, including hamstring problems for Lionel Messi, saw the side stutter through the season and he resigned after the club failed to win a major trophy for the first time in six years.

His failure with Barca did not seem to damage his reputation in Argentina, where he is still highly regarded after having a successful club coaching career in Paraguay before returning to Rosario to steer Newell’s Old Boys to the league title in 2013.