Former Mexico coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino has said that he's open to a return to managing in MLS.
Martino, 60, led MLS' Atlanta United during their 2017 inaugural season and the following year guided them to the MLS Cup title.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
"MLS is my weakness," Martino said in an interview with The Athletic. "I was part of an extraordinary project with Atlanta United that had a clear direction, a lot of communication and similar objectives that were established very quickly and executed.
"After coaching in MLS, I became attracted to it. I like the league. The possibility of returning to MLS is always there."
Martino added that he would be selective with any opportunity that arose in MLS.
"Just because I've coached in MLS doesn't mean I'll go back to anything," he said.
"You have to know who you're going to work with and what the project is all about. From there you can get on the same page. MLS excites me. The season is just getting started but I've tried to follow it as much as I can. It's a league that I'd go back to someday."
Despite his success with Atlanta, the Argentine turned down an opportunity to renew his contract with the MLS club in order to coach Mexico's men's national team from 2019 to 2022.
With El Tri, a promising start through a 2019 Gold Cup title eventually transformed into a turbulent run. A failure to win the 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League and the 2021 Gold Cup, as well as a strained run through World Cup qualifying, led to heightened pressure before Qatar 2022.
Although Mexico stumbled to a group-stage exit and Martino walked out of the job after the end of his contract last year, he said the team's performances were good enough to progress.
One player Martino has scrutinized is dual-national and now United States international Alejandro Zendejas.
Shortly after Mexico lost 1-0 to Paraguay in a September friendly, Martino said that "it's almost an extortion" for Zendejas to delay a one-time switch that was needed to play for Mexico, implying that the decision was based solely on selection for the World Cup roster.
FIFA investigated Zendejas' eligibility and sanctioned Mexico after the former U.S. youth national team player featured for El Tri in two friendlies in 2021 and 2022 without filing an official switch.
The Club America midfielder declared his allegiance to the USMNT last month and has now made three appearances.
"We were on the verge of playing in a World Cup," Martino said. "This was a player who was in good form, who acted as if his decision was subject to what could potentially happen for him or subject to the decisions that we could make. I didn't think that was fair.
"I come from a country that may have a lot of defects but the commitment to the national team is unbreakable. We don't understand why a player needs to be convinced to come play for the national team. Players need to show up for their national team."
Currently out of a job and living back in Argentina, Martino confirmed that he had recently held discussions to coach Buenos Aires giants Boca Juniors, but ultimately decided against it. Boca subsequently appointed Jorge Almiron as manager earlier this month.
"The world that surrounds Boca is massive ... it's one that goes well beyond football, the squad that you have or the footballing needs of the club. There's a whole other life within the club that's very significant. There's a political aspect that plays a big role and there are elections at the end of this year," Martino said.
"Boca is currently impacted by national politics, as well, which requires a certain level of evaluation. And then there was my ability to take on a project of that magnitude right now. After a demanding four-year process with Mexico, my analysis had to be very detailed. Once you accept a challenge like this, there's no turning back. I believed that this wasn't the right time for me. At this moment, Boca needed a different type of commitment."
Martino began his coaching career in the late 1990s in South American club soccer, where he would go on to lead a handful of Argentine and Paraguayan teams. From 2007 to 2011, he coached Paraguay's national team and made headlines with his run to second place in the 2011 Copa America.
He then had short spells as manager of Barcelona from 2013 to 2014 and with Argentina's national team from 2014 to 2016.