Tata Martino returned to mic in front of a myriad of reporters. The new Atlanta United head coach had heard plenty of their questions in his first stint with Atlanta United, and all these years later, he's answering them once again. He met them with his warm smile and calculated responses, conveying his gratitude for another chance to lead the 5-Stripes.
A new day brings its own set of questions for Martino and Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson. The prevailing one is how the two work together to usher in a new era of competitive football for Atlanta United. The 2025 didn't end the way anyone in and around the club would've wanted, and the offseason will be a particularly important one for Martino and Henderson.
"We believe that we have the opportunity to change that dynamic and be able to establish [an] identity with the fanbase," Martino said in Spanish during Thursday's press conference.
The two have history, and recent history at that. They worked together at Inter Miami, where Henderson hired Tata for the first time in July of 2023. Now, he gets the opportunity to hire him again, this time as a 5-Stripe.
"Communication has been very good, not just with Tata, but the entire staff," Henderson said. "He comes with a staff that understands each other, they understand their roles really well and they will fit in to help build an instant culture inside the building."
There's plenty of familiarity, between Henderson and Martino, between Martino and the club itself. Still, the task in front of them will be demanding.
"A year ago, we were working together so we have a trust and a comfort together," Henderson said. "We want to get a team that can compete every single game, that can be a team that the fans are excited about. It's going to take a lot of hard work together, but there's trust and comfort in working with Tata and his staff. It's been great to have this week together and integrate with our staff and have introductions and conversations. It's been it's been important for us, as we have a lot of business to do between now and the start of the season."
Martino said he'll bring most of the same staff from his first tenure. He'll be adding his son to group as well, as he joked that his wife would rather him be with Tata than her.
As Henderson and Martino alluded to, the offseason will see some change in the Atlanta United squad, but there are some clear building blocks in place. The roster was one of the first things Martino looked at when he considered returning to the club. Henderson previously stated the 5-Stripes would be retaining their three designated players — Miguel Almirón, Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alexey Miranchuk — and Martino aligned with that evaluation.
"We think that the players who make up this roster have more potential than they showed in the standings," Martino said. "By adding a few new faces to the team, we'll be able to form a competitive group."
Martino, who has a connection with Almirón from coaching him in his first tenure with the club, is focused on getting the most out of the Paraguayan forward.
"It's always nice to be reunited with players who we have a lot of love for, in this case, with Miguel, who we shared wonderful time here," Martino said. "Our intention is to try to get the best version of Miguel, because we know that this [upcoming] season, he not only has a big commitment to Atlanta, but also a big commitment to the national team in a World Cup year. Our goal is also to surround him with other players, [so] while he can be the main leader on the field, off the field, other players can help take on some of that responsibility."
The players themselves are critical, but the system and the culture that comes with it dictates winning just as much. Martino's old Atlanta United teams were known for fast, fluid, vertical football, and his philosophy has remained the same over his years away.
"That idea hasn't changed, that's what we tried to do," Martino said. "But with that said, we know the game is always evolving. The way we'll try to play is sticking to that idea but, of course, evolving as MLS continues to evolve."
Martino chose to return to a comfortable situation for himself and his family. He said they enjoy their time in Atlanta and that he likes coaching in MLS. It'll be an ideal scenario for the almost 63-year-old manager to continue to do what he does best — engineer winning football teams.
"What we're going to try and do is build the identity that we want to have with the team," Martino said. "Taking into account that we can't always go back on just memories and how things were. Of course, we've all changed, and many things have changed since then."
