Argentina's Martino agrees to coach Barcelona

Soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona hired Argentine Gerardo Martino to replace Tito Vilanova as coach, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old Martino agreed a two-year contract, his new club said on their website. A Rosario native like Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Martino is known as a disciple of the club's possession-based style.

Vilanova, 44, stepped down last week to continue treatment for throat cancer after leading Barcelona to its 22nd Spanish league title in his first season since taking over from former coach Pep Guardiola.

Known as "Tata" (which means grandad in Spanish), the silver-haired Martino burnished his reputation after leading one of Argentina’s top soccer clubs -- Newell's Old Boys -- to a league title.
 
He made his name as a coach when he took Paraguay to the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals, where they lost 1-0 to eventual champions Spain.

Martino is a self-confessed admirer of Guardiola, who took over at German and European champions Bayern Munich at the end of last season.

"I feel identified with the kind of football Barcelona play," Martino told Spanish sports daily Marca in June.

"It's the style I like most," he said referring to the kind of possession and pass-heavy soccer that was Guardiola’s hallmark.

His main priorities this season will be to retain the La Liga title while leading Barcelona to a third European championship in six seasons and their fifth overall.

According to a financial assessment by Forbes magazine in April, Barcelona is the third richest soccer club in the world behind Real Madrid and Manchester United, and is valued at $2.6 billion.

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