Pellegrino Matarazzo: The Unlikely American Architect of Real Sociedad’s Copa del Rey Glory | OneFootball

Pellegrino Matarazzo, a 48-year-old native of New Jersey and graduate of Columbia University’s applied mathematics program, has just written his name in the history books of Spanish soccer. In leading Real Sociedad to their only fourth-ever Copa del Rey trophy, he has become the first ever U.S.-born manager to win a trophy with a club in Europe’s top five leagues. It is a milestone that permanently shatters a long-standing glass ceiling for coaches from the United States. How has he achieved it, and how did he bring his version of the American dream to San Sebastián?

Pellegrino Matarazzo: The Appointment

To understand the importance of this Copa del Rey triumph, one must understand the situation La Real were in when he was appointed. Real Sociedad, a club defined by its proud Basque identity and famed Zubieta academy, were down in the trenches in December.

Long-term manager Imanol Alguacil, a former player who had been on the coaching staff since 2011, had departed for a position in Saudi Arabia.

Sergio Francisco, promoted from within to steady the ship, was managing the historic club into the ground. By the time a damning 3-1 defeat to Girona rolled around in December 2025, La Real possessed the fourth-worst defense in La Liga. They were conceding high-quality chances at an alarming rate, their ambitions were nonexistent, and they sat just a single point above the relegation zone.

The board knew they had to act decisively. The romanticism of promoting an academy coach had failed. Out of nowhere, they announced Pellegrino Matarazzo as the new manager on December 20, signing him to a contract until June 2027. The Spanish press responded with collective skepticism.

Here was an American manager who had never coached in Spain, didn’t speak a word of Spanish or Euskara, arriving with very limited coaching experience. He had only previously managed Stuttgart and Hoffenheim in Germany, getting sacked on both occasions.

Pellegrino Matarazzo: The Turnaround

Sergio Francisco tried to maintain the club’s traditional possession-heavy philosophy. But without the necessary pressing traps, they kept getting carved open in transition.

Matarazzo’s first major tweak was defensive. He integrated loan signing Duje Ćaleta-Car to anchor a back three alongside defensive midfielder Igor Zubeldia and center-back Jon Martín. Out of possession, this changed into an impenetrable back five. He choked the center of the pitch, forcing opponents out wide, and instructed his midfield, led by the relentless Beñat Turrientes, to launch immediate, vertical counterattacks the second the ball was won.

Former Valencia players Carlos Soler and Gonçalo Guedes were given the freedom to operate in the half-spaces, exploiting the gaps left by retreating defenders. Club captain Mikel Oyarzabal, who had looked isolated earlier in the season, was suddenly thriving at the end of these rapid transitions, scoring 15 goals across all competitions to become the team’s top scorer.

From the trenches to the crown

At the time of his appointment, Real Sociedad were 16th in the table with just 17 points in 17 games. They had only won four games all season and lost eight, while scoring just 21 times and conceding 25. Three of their wins had come at home. They were performing poorly away from San Sebastián.

Under Pellegrino Matarazzo, Real Sociedad went unbeaten in his first four matches. More impressively, they have remained completely unbeaten at the Reale Arena since his arrival, turning their home ground back into a Basque fortress. At the time of writing, he has taken charge of La Real for 19 games, has won 10 of those and only lost three. Those three losses were against top-four teams: the two Madrid sides and Villarreal. His team now sit seventh in La Liga, just four points behind Real Betis in fifth. With the Copa del Rey triumph, Real Sociedad have now successfully qualified for the Europa League next season, as well as the Supercopa de España, trophies which Pellegrino Matarazzo would dearly love to add to his cabinet.

Pellegrino Matarazzo: The Triumph

At the turn of the year, no one expected Real Sociedad to have the turnaround it did. Let alone lift Spain’s oldest and most prestigious domestic trophy. But Pellegrino Matarazzo saw something in this team. After successfully navigating his side through Copa del Rey rounds, including a double over Basque rivals Athletic Club in the semifinals, he came prepared.

Just seconds after the opening whistle in the final, a direct vertical attack caught Atlético entirely off guard. Winger Ander Barrenetxea found a sliver of space in the penalty area and fired home the opening goal in the first minute.

Ademola Lookman equalized in the 18th minute, but Matarazzo’s side refused to buckle. Deep into first-half stoppage time, captain Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty to restore the Basque side’s lead heading into the tunnel.

For much of the second half, Real Sociedad defended relentlessly, absorbing waves of Atlético pressure. The 5-3-2 block held firm until the 83rd minute, when Julián Álvarez produced a moment of brilliance to level the score at 2-2, ultimately forcing extra time. With no result after 120 minutes, the Copa del Rey final headed to penalties.

Had La Real lost, no one would have blamed Pellegrino Matarazzo.

The fact that the team even reached a final, let alone held on until 120 minutes, was already an achievement when you consider where the team was in December. Real Sociedad were clinical. Carlos Soler, Luka Sučić, and Pablo Marín all converted their spot kicks under immense pressure. But the real hero of the night was goalkeeper Unai Marrero.

The shot stopper, rightfully named Man of the Match, was a wall throughout the game. He stopped the first two penalties from Alexander Sørloth and Julián Álvarez in the shootout. Marrero was backed by Matarazzo since his arrival for the cup run. So often you see a team reach a cup final and the manager reverting to his regular goalkeeper for the final. But Matarazzo stuck with his man and he ended up being the difference maker.

The club does not win a lot of trophies. They’ve collected Four Copa del Rey triumphs in nearly 120 years of history (1909, 1987, 2020 and now 2026). It’s clear that Pellegrino Matarazzo is slowly building a legacy at Real Sociedad.