Martino steps down as Argentina national team coach

The 53-year-old former Barcelona head coach, who is also known as “Tata”, led Argentina to the final of last month’s Copa America tournament in the United States, but the Albiceleste lost to Chile.

Earlier, while there were questions about Martino’s future, the AFA assured he will guide the Under-23 team in their quest for another gold medal.

Lionel Messi retired from global football after the 4-2 shoot-out defeat in Texas last month, prompting hundreds of his fans to protest in the rain over the weekend.

Argentina Manager Gerardo Martino gives instruction to his team in the 1st half during the Copa America Centenario quarterfinal match between the Argentina and Venezuela played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.

The resignation is another major blow to Argentina, which reached the 2014 World Cup final before losing against Germany.

An AFA statement confirmed: “The national team’s technical team have made a decision to hand in their resignation”.

Martino guided the team to consecutive Copa America finals, but both ended with penalty-kick losses to Chile.

In a statement published by the Argentina Football Association (AFA), Martino said he and his coaching staff quit due to management disputes in the association and difficulties in getting the squad together in time for the Olympics.

Gerardo Martino has stepped down as Argentina coach.

The Argentina team qualified for the Games after triumphing at the 2015 South American Youth Championship, with hopes raised that they would be able to replicate their gold medal success at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Federation Internationale de Football Association has said a so-called “normalisation committee” of up to seven members “will be in charge of running the daily affairs” of the Argentine body and that elections must be organised by July 2017.

Also on Monday, the father of Sergio “Kun” Aguero told radio station Paladar Rojo that if Messi leaves the team, his son will as well.