Pusineri departs, Colace takes charge of crisis-hit Atlético Tucumán | OneFootball

Lucas Pusineri is no longer the coach of Atlético Tucumán, thus ending his second stint at the club, which came to a close as a result of poor results—three defeats in the last four matches—and the escalation of the conflict between the professional squad and the club’s management.

The home defeat against San Lorenzo (1-2, last Monday) accelerated the timeline in every sense and not only resulted in Pusineri’s departure, but also exposed internal issues, as the players released an explosive statement against the directors.

During his second spell at the club, which began in February 2025, Pusineri managed 28 matches, with 10 wins, 4 draws, and 14 losses.

In his first tenure at the institution, which ended on June 30, 2023, the coach had overseen 57 matches, with 19 victories, 22 draws, and 16 defeats.

Hugo Colace, the Reserve team coach, will take over as interim manager in Pusineri’s place, while the board of directors evaluates candidates to appoint the next head coach.

Internal conflict: broken relationships and a harsh statement

The internal conflict escalated after the loss to El Cuervo, following which a group of fans confronted the players and threw bills from the stands, leading Leandro Díaz to have a confrontation with the supporters and even attempt to fight them.

Afterwards, the squad released a statement denouncing unfulfilled commitments and a lack of dialogue with the management. One of the issues highlighted was the debt over bonuses, which created internal tension, affected the atmosphere in the locker room, and led the team to not stay together before the match against San Lorenzo.

“The decision not to stay together was made as a last resort since we tried several times through dialogue to reach a mutual understanding. It was a way to express our discomfort without creating public conflicts or affecting the fans who are always there and shouldn’t have to bear internal problems. We tried to resolve everything internally and with respect, as it should be,” part of the statement reads.

“It pains us to have to reach this point, but we believe the fans deserve to know the truth. We defend this jersey with pride and want a better Atlético Tucumán. Sincerely: The professional squad of Atlético Tucumán,” the statement concludes.

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