Back to the future: Why Tata Martino is the best choice to save Atlanta United | Sideline Soapbox

by Chris Levine

In the classic 1980s film Back to the Future, a quirky high school kid named Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time, setting off a chain of events he must correct to save himself and his family. (It’s 40 years old this fall—so, no spoilers!) The story is a timeless “what if”: how might one change in the past alter the present?

Atlanta United now finds itself in a similar reflection point.

After dismissing its third coach in less than two years and posting by far the worst season in club history, this is not where anyone expected the Five Stripes to be entering their 10th season. Especially not after the explosive success of their first two years. For the club, the “what if” moment may trace back to Tata Martino’s decision to leave after winning MLS Cup, and the alternate timeline that began when he did. While that decision may have been beyond the club’s control at the time, Atlanta United now has a chance to undo it: an opportunity to reset the club’s direction, identity, and energy.

Over the last seven seasons, Atlanta has cycled through managers dismissed for style (Frank de Boer), character (Gabriel Heinze), results (Gonzalo Pineda), and disengagement (Ronny Deila). Franchise-defining players have moved on: Miguel Almiron, Josef Martinez, Darlington Nagbe, Michael Parkhurst, Julian Gressel, and now Brad Guzan. All-star-caliber talents like Ezequiel Barco, Pity Martinez, Luiz Araujo, Franco Escobar, Thiago Almada, and Giorgos Giakoumakis have come and gone, often underperforming amid a lack of cohesion and tactical clarity. Brief flashes of hope have been drowned out by long droughts: just three playoff appearances in the last six years, and only one playoff advancement—under a popular interim coach who was later let go.

The excuses have been many: injuries, contracts, bad luck (“At least we’re getting chances”). But it’s fair to call this era post-Tata purgatory, a Sisyphean cycle of experimentation that never moves the needle.

Some will say nostalgia isn’t the answer, pointing to failed “returns” elsewhere. But in this case, nostalgia might be exactly what the team needs. This isn’t about clinging to the past; it’s about reclaiming the identity and purpose that made Atlanta United great. This is a rare chance to course-correct — not toward the unknown, but back to the very formula that built one of the most exciting franchises in MLS history.

Tata Martino is a fútbol legend (Google his résumé if you need proof). He’s won everywhere he’s gone, all while playing an energetic, expressive brand of soccer that drew fans and players alike to Atlanta. In a city then seen as a “non-fútbol market,” Tata built a championship-level roster, blending emerging young talent with proven MLS veterans. It was the perfect storm of tactical brilliance, chemistry, and fan connection, a model new franchises have tried (and mostly failed) to replicate.

We may never know every reason why the partnership ended, but what’s clear is that the magic has been missing ever since. Yes, Tata’s roster construction carried over into an Eastern Conference Final the next year, much like Jimmy Johnson’s Cowboys still won a Super Bowl under a new coach. But unless Atlanta wants a decade of frustration to stretch into a generation (looking at you, Jerry), it’s time for a mea culpa, a bit of humility to bring back the architect of its success.

Tata wants to return. Atlanta United would be foolish not to let him.

This past season marked a low point in fan engagement. The team wasn’t just losing; it was boring. The Five Stripes failed to score 13 times in 34 matches, a grim franchise record. At times, the players seemed to forget the basics of passing and finishing, frustrating supporters and pundits alike. Expectations were sky-high. This was supposed to be a contender for the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup, especially after humbling Messi and friends in the playoffs just a year prior. Instead, fans were left asking, “What happened?” Attendance and interest both fell sharply, something unimaginable just a year earlier.

So what now? Fans won’t be fooled again by another recycled MLS hire. The 2018 team isn’t walking through that door…or is it?

Tata Martino is uniquely qualified to rebuild this club the same way he built it the first time. He’s still got it — Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield just last year under his leadership. Players like Miggy thrived under his system, and with Atlanta’s Designated Players expected to remain, who better to maximize their potential than the man who first defined “Atlanta United soccer”?

This should be a no-brainer. With the world’s eyes soon turning to Atlanta ahead of the World Cup, the club faces a defining choice: resurgence or rerun?

Remember, Marty McFly got a better version of his family (and a new truck) by changing just one decision in the past. If Atlanta United makes the right choice now, an even bigger prize might be waiting in its future.