Trionfini to Unión youngsters: «When it goes wrong, don't hammer them»

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Radio Gol

·23 September 2026

Trionfini to Unión youngsters: «When it goes wrong, don't hammer them»

Alejandro Trionfini, Technical Director 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 the youth 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 schedule and is planned for normally, “it’s a beautiful match, the boys look forward to it, they want to play it.” However, he clarified that in his way of working they do not rely on excessive emotional intensity, but rather on “setting them up and trying to go out and play the same way, anywhere, always trying to win.”

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When analyzing what makes this clash different in the reserve competition, Trionfini offered an interesting snapshot of the local idiosyncrasy: “They’re all kids, it’s fans against fans, kids who have been facing each other since the Ninth Division or from youth football. 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 Team coaching staff

The coordinator and coach highly valued the club’s logistical growth, assuring 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 First Division level, a gym at our disposal, and a large staff with assistants, fitness coaches, a medical room, a psychologist, a nutritionist, and kit men at the training ground. Internally, in terms of work, Unión is on the level of very good institutions,” he detailed.

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 Team manager, calling him “a renowned coach, very intelligent in the way he sets up 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 the coaching staff.”

The jump to the First Team: enthusiasm, consistency, and the developmental “combo”

Asked about how the reserve team boys take the recent sales of club players and the rapid promotion of teammates to the professional squad, Trionfini admitted that they experience it “with a lot of enthusiasm because they see the door open.” Even so, he warned that professional football remains an extremely selective place where a great deal of merit must be accumulated.

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 means entering a place that was not so familiar, trying to do your own thing, and along that path there are mistakes, situations, and learning experiences.”
The lack of consistency: “That is perhaps what does not always happen with youth players: their performances are not always consistent when playing in the First Division over a full tournament.”
The team context: “There is always one point that is key in integrating youth players into the first team: the first team has to support them. When the first team is in a good moment, youth players normally perform much better.”
Estimated time in the Reserve team: Partly agreeing with the view of local coordinators, Trionfini estimated that a prudent amount of playing time is needed before making the final jump: “In the reserve team you need composure, I’d say at least a year of playing, a full year is 36 matches.”

Finally, the Tatengue reserve team coach concluded that a young player’s success depends on a combination of factors that go beyond football itself: “For a player to reach the First Division, three things are key: the player’s current performance, the coach’s preference, and positional need.” In light of this, he asked 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.