Idol of Messi's father’s to manage Leo

The appointment of Gerardo Martino as Barcelona manager has the approval of Leo Messi. The Barça star maintains a good relationship with the Argentine coach and his coaching team. Both men are from Rosario and shared a passion for Newell's Old Boys – the club where they started out as players.

The former manager of 'La Lepra', a childhood idol of Messi's father, is very much to the player's liking. In an interview with 'Olé' newspaper last summer, 'La Pulga' praised the work done by 'Tata': "I like Martino. He's a great manager and what he did for the team in the 'Clausura' was incredible, the way it finished and how he managed it. He took the team, made it play well and everyone respects him," he said.

It seems everything fits nicely together. Coincidently, Adrián Coria – Martino's assistant since he was in charge of Paraguay – coached Messi when he was just 11 years old in the youth academy at Newell's. He was an essential part of Messi's career, before the player joined Barça to go on to become the best player in the world. Thirteen years on, and the pair could link up again at the Camp Nou.