31) Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate)
[i]Gallardo is more than just an attacking coach. Sometimes there are coaches who believe they’re braver because they decide ‘to die with their boots on’. Really what you have to attempt is to not die…all systems are good if they are executed well
- Carlos Aimar, ex-midfielder-turned-journalist[/i]
Gallardo is not just a football manager. He’s an urbanist who had to rebuild a club after a nuclear bomb had exploded. When River Plate were relegated in 2011 it looked like the world was over for their fans as they knew it. Matias Almeyda led them to promotion, Ramon Diaz, made them win a tournament again, but the metallic taste was still present in the stands.
The moment after Marcelo Gallardo took over, however, River seemed to rekindle their historic style. The 39-year-old, a club symbol who’d played an important part in their victories of the mid-1990s, had already enjoyed a successful coaching stint at Uruguay’s Nacional.
An admirer of Pep Guardiola, his impact from day one can only be compared to the Catalonian’s start at Barcelona. Gallardo managed to get the entire club aligned towards his project, and put a huge emphasis on the traditional River style: ball possession and lots of attacking. Within a year he’d managed to win the first Copa Sudamericana in the club’s history after victory over Boca Juniors in the semi-finals. River have reached the last four of this season’s Copa Libertadores after once again defeating their bitter rivals, this time after River players were attacked with pepper spray by Boca fans and the game was suspended.
He’s still compared to Guardiola, but in truth Gallardo – the youngest manager in FFT’s list – is closer to Mourinho in his intensity, tactics, signings and media handling. Not to mention his winning habit. MM
Esto pusieron sobre Gallardo en la página web Four Four Two. Yo entendí lo que dice el texto, pero estoy laburando y no tengo tiempo para traducirlo a ustedes. Alguien que sea tan amable de hacerlo…
