Maxi Rodriguez believes Barcelona have chosen the "ideal" coach in Gerardo Martino after the Argentine was appointed last week.
Rodriguez is the captain of Newell's Old Boys, who Martino led to the Argentinian Clausura title last season as well as the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores where they were eliminated on penalties by eventual winners Atletico Mineiro.
The Argentina midfielder returned to his boyhood club Newell's last year after a decade in Europe with Espanyol, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, and after spending a year working under Martino, believes his former coach has the right philosophy and mentality to be a hit at the Nou Camp.
He told AS: "Barca have got one of the best coaches that has come out of Argentina in recent times, without any doubt.
"Martino has always liked his teams to have the ball and play possession football, so he has a style of play that they are well used to seeing at the Camp Nou."
Rodriguez also explained Martino's style of play.
"His usual formation is a 4-3-3, although he can make interesting alternations. He allows players to change position and gives them freedom, but the only thing he asks is that you do what you were coached the previous week. He and his staff are simple people who adapt easily to any circumstance. I'm certain he is the ideal coach for Barcelona."
Although Martino is taking a radical step in his career by moving from Newell's to the Catalan giants, Rodriguez is convinced that he will be able to contribute a lot to the Primera Division champions.
"Everyone can learn something important from him," he said.
"He is a talker, he is close to his players, and he wants to listen in order to learn. Look how he changed the history of Newell's.
"When he arrived, the team were destined for relegation, which would have been a disaster. But all of us turned the situation around by believing in his message from day one and a few weeks ago on the streets of Rosario we celebrated winning the league title."
