Matías Módolo on Colón clash: «Name, history and budget win nothing» | OneFootball

On the eve of this Saturday’s crucial clash at 3:30 p.m. for Matchday 26 of the Primera Nacional, San Miguel head coach Matías Módolo spoke at length with the program ADN on Radio Gol 96.7. The coach analyzed his team’s current situation in Los Polvorines, recalled his recent departure from Chacarita, denied rumors involving the Sabalero, and offered a deep reflection on the pressures weighing on the big clubs in the division.

San Miguel’s present and structure

When asked about the club he found upon arrival, Módolo highlighted its institutional growth and the return to its traditional training ground. In that regard, he explained that “our arrival came with a commitment to return to training at the ground the club used to have, which is Predio Los Abrojos, near the stadium.” Along those same lines, he praised the facilities and the board’s effort, saying that “we have a top-level pitch, a top-level gym,” and added that San Miguel “is fairly well set up... it’s a club where everything is very hard-earned, done with a lot of effort, and they try to meet every obligation on time and properly, which is no small thing in the times we’re living through.”

The need for a breather after leaving Chacarita

The head coach also took time to explain the personal reasons that led him to step away temporarily from coaching before taking over at the “Green Thunder,” emphasizing the wear and tear suffered by football professionals. “The truth is that as a coaching staff we needed a breather. It had been more than 10 years working nonstop, where you don’t stop for more than 10 days, you probably don’t have vacations... you often put off family, your whole life is arranged around the weekend schedule or your trips,” he admitted openly. He also added that “in my case, I needed to reorganize my life in Buenos Aires, support family members who were in delicate health, and finish some things related to my home.”

His assessment of his spell with the “Funebrero”

Regarding his abrupt previous stint at Chacarita, the coach acknowledged the difficulties of coordinating a football project with so many new faces from the very start of preseason. “My time at Chaca, like all the challenges I face in life, leaves me with growth, with many lessons... from the outside, what people see is that the results didn’t go our way, and that I wasn’t able to stay for even a minimum period of time to start putting an idea together,” he said in a self-critical analysis. In the same vein, he admitted that “we underestimated, or didn’t believe it would be as complicated as it was to build a squad from scratch with 24 new players. That’s something I don’t think has worked at any club, or if it does, you need time.”

The denial of the rumor linking him to Colón

During the interview, Módolo flatly denied the media reports circulating in Santa Fe that pointed to supposed formal contact for him to become head coach of the sabalero side. “No, no, no, I had no communication with the club, no, no, no. My agent may have fluid dialogue with most presidents or sporting directors in the division... but there was never any possibility of us even meeting,” he clarified bluntly. He even joked about the situation during the farewell match for Luis Miguel “Pulga” Rodríguez: “I was surprised, at the time I went to Luis Miguel’s farewell, there were rumors that I was close to taking over. I should have brought a bigger suitcase—they could have let me know, one less move for me.”

The pressures of the Primera Nacional

Looking ahead to Saturday’s match in Los Polvorines, Módolo offered a blunt diagnosis of how the emotional demands of fans and club boards directly work against coaches’ long-term projects. “I think part of it also has to do with a shift where the fan understands that you don’t win matches with a name, history, the shirt, or the budget, and that’s exactly what we’re being shown, especially in the Nacional B,” he said forcefully. He also reflected on the intolerance that reigns in the environment, stating that “today it’s proven... people react more emotionally than rationally, so the team loses, I get angry, it’s a disaster, nobody is any good, everything has to change, everybody out—and usually the coach is the one who pays the price.” Aiming his comments at club leadership, he concluded that “I don’t understand why there’s such a rush to end projects when today, as a director, you have to be convinced about the coaching staff... if the only thing you look at is the result or the abuse they’re getting on social media, I don’t think that’s right.”

Praise for Iván Delfino

To close, the current San Miguel manager spoke with deep professional respect about Iván Delfino, highlighting his human qualities within Argentine lower-division football. “I highlight his character, his people skills, his humility in how he relates to colleagues, the respect he has within the game. I think that goes beyond his résumé,” Módolo praised. At the same time, he concluded by stressing that “I think Iván is an example of great ability and of never forgetting the mud of the lower divisions, even though he is perhaps the coach from the lower divisions with the most top-flight experience.”

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