Alejandro Trionfini’s plea for Unión youngsters: «Don’t crucify them»

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Radio Gol

·22 September 2026

Alejandro Trionfini’s plea for Unión youngsters: «Don’t crucify them»

Alejandro Trionfini, head coach of Unión’s reserve team, spoke on the ADN program on Radio Gol 96.7 ahead of the Santa Fe derby to be played this Friday at Colón’s training ground. The coach analyzed how the week leading up to the derby is experienced, the club’s current infrastructure, and the maturation process of young players in a market where the institution has sold many homegrown footballers.

The value of the derby and school coexistence in the city

Ahead of Friday’s match at the sabalero training ground, the coach stressed that, although it is part of a 36-match calendar and is planned for as usual, “it’s a great match, the boys look forward to it, they want to play it.” However, he clarified that in his working style they do not rely on excessive emotional buildup, but rather on “getting them ready and trying to go out and play the same way, anywhere, always trying to win.”

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When analyzing what sets this matchup apart in the reserve competition, Trionfini offered an interesting snapshot of the local idiosyncrasy: “They’re all kids, it’s fans against fans, boys who have been crossing paths since the Ninth Division or even younger youth levels. Many share schools, go to the same night school, share classrooms and are classmates, but that rivalry exists because they run into each other all the time.” He also stressed the importance of “civilizing this match” to keep it within normal regulatory limits.

Unión’s structure and the link with the First Division coaching staff

The coordinator and coach greatly valued the club’s logistical growth, stating that the reserve team has “all its needs covered” and works with a structure parallel to the First Division. “We have two very good pitches at the First Division level, a gym available, and a large staff with assistants, fitness coaches, medical room, psychologist, nutritionist, and kit men at the training ground. Internally, in terms of day-to-day work, Unión is on par with very good institutions,” he explained.

As for the daily relationship with Leonardo Madelón and Nicolás Vazzoler, Trionfini highlighted that the coaching staffs work in parallel but cross paths all the time. He praised the current First Division coach, calling him “a renowned coach, very smart in the way he approaches matches and with a very good connection with the player,” and underlined the positive impact of Vazzoler, whose arrival “has been very good for Unión and for the coaching staff.”

The jump to the first team: enthusiasm, consistency, and the developmental “combo”

Asked about how the reserve players process the club’s recent sales of footballers and the rapid rise of teammates to the professional squad, Trionfini admitted they experience it “with great enthusiasm because they see the door is open.” Even so, he warned that professional football remains an extremely selective environment where a great deal of merit must be built up.

The coach emphasized the marked differences in demands between the two levels, pointing out the following aspects regarding the development of academy players:

The adaptation period: “Young players need an adaptation period, what is called experience. Experience is entering a place that was not so familiar, trying to do your own thing, and along that path there are mistakes, situations, and lessons.”
The lack of consistency: “That is perhaps what does not always happen with young players: their performances are not always consistent when playing in the First Division over a full tournament.”
The team context: “There is always one key point in the integration of young players into the first team: the first team has to support them. When the first team is in a good moment, the young players usually perform much better.”
Estimated time in the reserves: Partly agreeing with the view of local coordinators, Trionfini estimated that a reasonable amount of playing time is needed before making the definitive jump: “In the reserves, composure is needed; I’d estimate at least a year of playing, and a full year is 36 matches.”

Finally, the Tatengue reserve coach concluded that a young player’s success depends on a combination of factors that go beyond football itself: “For a player to make it to the first team, three things are key: the player’s current performance, the coach’s preference, and positional need.” With that in mind, he called for patience and support for the academy boys:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.