Hasta El Gol Siempre

Miguel Angel Russo has given his first press conference as manager of San Lorenzo, setting out the philosophy he’ll be approaching the next season with, which for the most part, sensibly enough, involves keeping the current squad together. He revealed his only transfer target was Olympiakos midfielder Cristian Ledesma, and declared that he would be aiming for success in both the league and the Copa Sudamericana during his first six months in charge.

‘The only footballer I’ve asked [the club's directors] for is Cristian Ledesma,’ Russo explained in the conference. ‘And I’ve told them to get him right now…’ Asked how much input he’ll have with regards to player contracts, he responded, ‘I don’t want to say too much on the subject of players. I’ve told the directors what it is that I need and from here on, it’s their business. I don’t negotiate with the players, and nor am I thinking about the things they say.’ That last point will be a relief to San Lorenzo fans given the circumstances of previous boss Ramón Díaz’s exit from the club.

Sensibly, Russo seems to have recognised that Díaz’s undoing was his relationship with the squad rather than the quality of the players, and this is why Ledesma is the only major signing he wants to make. ‘Now, if the side wants to be competitive, it’s obvious that the squad has to remain unified. If I was thinking in terms of “domestic league or Copa Sudamericana”, I’d be thinking small. San Lorenzo have to fight for both objectives at the same time.’

The remaining issue is Russo’s relationship with prominent San Lorenzo fan, TV presenter and businessman Marcelo Tinelli, who had declared prior to the new boss’s appointment that he’d be willing to help the club out financially – but only if Américo Gallego got the job. ‘I’ve known Marcelo since he was working as a journalist and always had a good relationship with him. He’s one of the first in the group of people wanting San Lorenzo to do well. As far as that’s concerned, we’re walking together.’