Barcelona have Messi & players every coach wants: Martino

Barcelona: Gerardo Martino has described Barcelona as having players "every coach wants" following his hiring as head coach on Tuesday.

The trainer was confirmed as the new Camp Nou boss following Tito Vilanova`s shock resignation over health problems as he continues his battle with cancer. Martino, who steps down as Newell`s Old Boys boss to take the two-year deal in Catalunya, is thrilled to get the opportunity coach Lionel Messi and hinted that the four-time Ballon d`Or winner was heavily influential in him being hired. "For my career as a coach, with the players that Barcelona have, with Leo there, it`s exactly what every coach wants," he told reporters at a press conference in Argentina. "From the outside, the first thing you think is that you have nothing to say to Messi in order to make him better! But when you become Bacelona`s boss and you can coach the best player of the world, I think that one can find ways to support him and help him to be the great player he is. "I don`t know the details of how they chose me. But I have no doubts that Lionel and [his father] Jorge have influenced and gave their opinion to the club. How much they did I don`t really know but I just want to thank them. The former Paraguay head coach is crossing his fingers that he can achieve perfection at Barca and revealed his enormous pride at being given the opportunity to take charge of the reigning Liga champions. "I`m really happy that Barcelona considered me and my way of working," Martino added. "I have hopes that everything will go perfect and, despite the [high] expectations, that everything will go great. "There are some things I prefer not to talk about, but I can`t stop saying how proud I was when I received the phone call and how proud I am to work in Barcelona. I really wasn`t expecting this." Martino is keen to get his Blaugrana troops ready for every competition they are entered in this season and hopes to join up with the Barca squad as soon as possible. "Barcelona will be ready for the beginning of La Liga, the Supercup and every tournament we will play," he continued. "My first goal is to get adapted to the club with my people the best way. Then we have to fight for every competition we play. One of the points we still have to solve with Barcelona is if I will have the same assistants. "We are deciding how we will proceed but I guess in the next few hours I will prepare everything to fly as soon as possible. This afternoon we will decide that." Goal.com