Lanús, the modest club reaching continental finals like Argentina’s giants | OneFootball

Without a robust budget, a neighborhood club competes in continental tournaments with player development as its philosophy: Lanús, which will play its fourth continental final in just over a decade this Saturday — more than almost all of Argentina’s big clubs.

Since 2013, Granate has experienced the greatest achievements in its history, reaching a Copa Libertadores final and three Copa Sudamericana finals, including the one that will take place next weekend against Atlético Mineiro, in Asunción.

Their performance is remarkable: in Argentina, only the giant River Plate has reached the same number of continental finals in this period.

Without high-profile signings and with a corporate management based on leveraging their youth academy, Lanús has reached more finals in the two main South American tournaments than Boca Juniors (2), Independiente, or Racing de Avellaneda (1).

So far, only once, in the 2013 Sudamericana, has this club, deeply rooted in the south of Buenos Aires, been rewarded with the title.

Lanús also won the now-defunct Copa Conmebol in 1996.

The team projects “something that entices any coach”: “seriousness, unity among the directors, something atypical in our football,” said current coach Mauricio Pellegrino when he was introduced in January.

The history of Lanús is divided into two phases. The first goes from its founding in 1915 until 2007, a period marked by crises, modest positions in Argentine football, and several relegations.

Everything changed with their first national title: the 2007 Apertura Tournament, won precisely at La Bombonera against Boca Juniors.

Since then, with players like the young Lautaro Acosta, Granate realized that the key was the strength of its youth academy.

With this same formula, Lanús won the Sudamericana in 2013 against Ponte Preta, under the command of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who was making his debut as a coach after retiring as a player. In that campaign, they eliminated River Plate.

Later, under Jorge Almirón, the team reached the 2017 Libertadores final, a historic milestone despite the 3-1 defeat to Grêmio. In the semifinals, they had eliminated the powerful River led by Marcelo Gallardo.

In 2020, they lost the Sudamericana final again, this time to Defensa y Justicia, but had the merit of eliminating Independiente, the traditional “King of Cups.”

Over the years, the board prides itself on the club’s stability — something rare among its rivals.

Lanús at the top

The biggest signing in Granate’s history, attacking midfielder Marcelino Moreno, cost $2.7 million in January, according to Transfermarkt.

That’s far from the Argentine football record: Cristian Medina’s arrival at Estudiantes de La Plata, for $14.4 million.

Now, although far from the top in the Argentine scene, Lanús could this Saturday join the select group of clubs with two Sudamericana titles, alongside Independiente and Boca.

Independiente del Valle, Liga de Quito, and Athletico Paranaense are also part of this list.

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