Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino could leave the club at end of the season

Coach Gerardo Martino of FC Barcelona during the Champions League match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City at Camp Nou.

Barcelona manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino could be leaving the club at the end of this season, according to Catalan Sports channel E-Sport 3.

According to the channel, Martino has already told some of his closest friends that he will be leaving the Catalan club once the season is over in May.

In the recent pre-match press conference against Osasuna, Martino told journalist that he has not taken part in any seasonal meeting because he knew no such discussions had taken place to plan for the 2014- 2015 season.

“I wouldn’t be sitting here if there had been one and they had left me out”, he told reporters.

However,  according to Marca, former FIFA agent José María Minguella insisted that there was indeed a meeting which the Argentine coach had missed.  “Barça had a meeting ten days ago to make decisions regarding next season, and Tata said he could not go,” he revealed.

Tata Martino has decided to leave Barcelona at the end of the season. He already informed some members of the coaching staff. [esport3]

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) March 17, 2014

Barcelona’s  vice president Manel Arroyo has denied any gesture that Tata is considering to leave the club: “We have no record of this. Tata has a contract with the club and is dedicated this week to what’s important.”

When asked if there was a condition in his contract that would allow him to leave the club this summer, he said, “I don’t know if there’s a deadline. There is a clause on his part and ours, but there is no intention to use it.”

It has also been suggested that Martino is considering taking up the job of managing the Argentina National team and may replace Alejandro Sabella after the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup.