Luis Núñez: From Juventus star to shaping Morocco’s 2030 football | OneFootball

The coach from Santa Fe, Luis Núñez, 58, is currently on vacation in his hometown, Santa Fe, for “genetic feedback”, enjoying meals and friends before embarking on his next professional challenge in Morocco. In an interview with the program “La Doce” on Radio Gol, Núñez recounted his extensive professional career that took him from the Santafesina League to working in the United States, Italy, and now, Africa.

Beginnings in Santa Fe and the Leap to the U.S.

Originally from the Nueva Pompeya neighborhood and educated at Don Bosco School, Núñez had a rather unpromising stint as a player in the Santafesina League. After rupturing his Achilles tendons and ligaments, he became the youngest coach to graduate in 1989, at the school of Chichicaté and other great local coaches.

His career took a significant turn after moving to the United States for family reasons, where he worked for 20 years for the New York City government in school sports programs. “We used to take between 2 and 3 months in the programs so that the kids wouldn’t grab the ball with their hands,” he commented about the challenge of teaching soccer in a country dominated by hand sports.

Experiences in the World Elite: Milan and Juventus

Thanks to the Claudio Reyna Foundation, he met figures such as Thierry Henry, Carlos Bilardo, Javier Zanetti, and Daniele Massaro. Massaro, top scorer of the 1994 World Cup, offered him the chance to collaborate with Milan’s summer camps in New York, marking his first experience with an Italian giant in 2003.

Later, in 2021, he won a competition to work at the Official Juventus Academy in New York. “Juventus, as I say, was the cherry on top, where I professionally really said, that’s it,” Núñez said. There he coached the under-14 and under-15 categories and, after winning a “Little World Cup” with the New York kids in Italy, he was offered to stay and live there, something he declined for economic and family reasons.

The Future in Morocco: An Ambitious Project

His next big challenge is in Morocco, where he was appointed director of the government’s amateur football programs in Casablanca. The project, driven by Spanish investors and supported by the royal crown, aims to develop grassroots football in the African country ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal.

“Morocco wants to use the Morocco brand (…) they want Morocco to be heard everywhere,” he explained, emphasizing that the country has great innate football potential, similar to Argentina. Núñez will lead a four-year contract to implement a structure starting from schools, a model he considers fundamental for player development.

“My plan, my life project is to return to Santa Fe. As long as God gives me life and health, to return to the most beautiful place in the world,” he concluded, reaffirming his love for his hometown despite having visited 29 countries.

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