At the start of a new season, the First Division remains unstable as before: six coaches have already left on nine dates.
Being a coach in Argentine football is one of the most unstable professions in the country. Fuses for change in the absence of results and often scapegoats for the leadership’s mismanagement, the technical directors know that their positions are under constant review and that long-term projects are more an exception than a true objective of the clubs.
The complete game of the Professional League Tournament 2023
After a 2022 in which 30 DTs were changed (11 in the first semester, 14 in the second and 5 after the end of the season) and which marked the end of the country’s longest cycle after the retirement of Marcelo Gallardo de River, then after eight and a half years, 2023 began with no less hysteria: only four games were needed for the first start of the year to take place; the second came a day later and in eight games already four coaches have left their places.
Next one, GOAL reviews all coaches who left their position in the Professional Soccer League in 2023 for various reasons.
1 | MARCELO SARALEGUI – COLUMBUS
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A start to the year with three defeats in a row and a draw in the classic against Unión was too much for Sabalero to lead, who decided 24 hours after the 1-1 defeat against Tatengue to fire the Uruguayan, who, in the debriefing on the 15 de Abril, had assured that he felt strong enough to stay in office, despite the fact that already in the run-up to the provincial duel, a group of managers revealed the version he was not even going to direct last weekend.
“This year’s campaign is lean, not like the last one. I had a lot of power, I think I could have controlled the situation, but people are angry with the managers for other reasons and they wanted to decompress the situation,” assured the coach when confirming his departure.
Saralegui had taken over as interim at the end of September 2022 following the departure of Adrián Marini and after three wins, two losses and one defeat in Colón’s last six games of the season, he was confirmed after Ricardo Zielinski agreed to take over in his place .
2 | ALEXANDER MEDINA – VELEZ
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The defeat against Boca on Saturday, February 25, before the fifth date of the LPF Tournament, was the last nail in the coffin of a cycle that seemed long overdue. After the 2-1 loss to Xeneize with one man left, the DT did not appear at the press conference and instead went manager Christian Bassedas, who reported that de Cacique was no longer Fortín’s coach “in consultation” with the leadership.
Thus was born a cycle that lasted nine months (the Uruguayan took office at the end of May 2022) and which never fully settled, not even with the qualification for the semi-finals of the last edition of the Copa Libertadores after the memorable series against Rivier in quarters. During his time at Liniers, Medina led 40 matches and reaped more defeats than wins: there were 16 falls against 11 wins and 13 draws, for a very low effectiveness of 38%.
3 | ABEL BALBO – STUDENTS
Estudiantes lost three of the six dates they played at the start of this tournament, but the results weren’t the only thing that condemned Abel Balbo to dismissal. His bad relationship with the biggest players (Jose Sosa, Pablo Piatti and Mauro Boselli) and after leaving an emblem like Mariano Andújar on the bench, the relationship with the Pincharrata team was completely broken. After the defeat against Unión, the coach from Central Córdoba said goodbye to the La Plata team.
4 | LEANDRO STILLITANO – INDEPENDENT
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Chronicle of a departure announced with several dates in advance. El Rojo entered 2023 with a new leadership, determined to handle the previous management’s economic disaster, alongside an aggressive transfer market and a DT linked to the institution since his status as a fan and former associate of Ariel Holan. His passing, however, was too fleeting.
Independiente only won on Talleres’ first date in Córdoba and has only eight units on eight dates. The four draws in a row, in addition to not winning at home, not finding the team and wasting chances to win, forced Fabián Doman to agree to Stillitano’s departure, after a weak ratification during the week, in contrary to the wishes of part of the Board of Directors, which expected this outcome.
5 | HUGO IBARRA – MOUTH
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The cycle of the Negro in Xeneize ended as unexpectedly as it had begun. When he took over the side on an interim basis last July following the sacking of Sebastián Battaglia, they assured the DT environment that he had no intention of staying in charge, but given the lack of viable alternatives, the Football Council confirmed this until the end of the year while looking for alternatives. And when few expected it, Ibarra won the title in the Professional League Tournament and won extra time for 2023.
However, the start of the new year did not live up to expectations and despite adding another title in March by winning the Argentine Super Cup, the Council decided to end the cycle on Tuesday, March 28, when the team suffered two consecutive defeats in the Professional League Tournament and despite beating Olimpo 72 hours earlier at the start of the Argentine Cup.
6 | GUSTAVO MUNÚA – UNION
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One of the few cycles to last more than a year in all of the First Division ended. On Tuesday, April 4, 72 hours after the loss to River for the ninth date of the Professional League Tournament that left Tatengue in penultimate place in the table with just seven points out of a possible 27, the lead decided to call it a day to the Uruguayan’s era, which had begun in October 2021 and culminated in qualifying for the 2022 Copa Sudamericana and the arrival in the round of 16 of the continental competition.
No one will be able to say on April 15 that DT’s farewell is surprising: from the fifth date, part of the Board of Directors had made the decision to fire him, but the Uruguayan clung to his position and took a breather with 2- 0 on Sixth Day Students. However, a draw and two falls later, the end became inevitable. Munúa thus leaves with only two victories in the last 20 games and with the team permanently installed in the fight for sustainability.
Source: Goal