Football world mourns the loss of veteran coach Miguel Angel Russo, remembered for his legacy
\n BUENOS AIRES
\nThe coach of Argentine football club Boca Juniors, Miguel Angel Russo, has died at the age of 69, the Argentine Football Association announced Wednesday.
\nRusso\u2019s health had deteriorated in recent weeks.
\nThe last Boca Juniors game he attended was on September 21, when his team drew 2-2 with Central Cordoba in a league match at Boca\u2019s home ground.
\nBoca Juniors never gave details of his health, but Argentine media reported that the coach, diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017, had contracted a urinary tract infection.
\nBoca Juniors, in a statement, expressed \u201cprofound sadness\u201d at Russo\u2019s death.
\n\u201cMiguel leaves an indelible mark on our club and will always be an example of joy, warmth, and dedication,\u201d it said.
\nIn his absence, his assistant Claudio Ubeda had been managing the club.
\nA man of few words, Russo was a coach for more than half his life and was talked up at one point as a potential manager for the national side after significant stints with Boca Juniors, Rosario Central and Estudiantes de la Plata.
\nHe spent his own playing career entirely at Estudiantes, from 1975 to 1988, forming part of one of the most memorable midfields in Argentine football, along with Alejandro Sabella, Marcelo Trobbiani, and Jose Daniel \u201cBocha\u201d Ponce.
\nHe made the national team but wasn\u2019t selected for the 1986 World Cup in which Diego Maradona famously captained Argentina to victory.
\nYears later, Russo admitted he was angry at being sidelined but said iconic coach Carlos Bilardo explained: \u201c\u2019The day you become a coach, you\u2019ll understand, like never before.\u2019 And later, I understood.\u201d
\nRusso\u2019s trophy cabinet was not extensive, but he had a knack for reviving the fortunes of top teams.
\nHis first first-division title came with Velez Sarsfield in 2005. Later, at Maradona\u2019s request, he was called on to manage Boca Juniors, which he led to victory in the 2007 Copa Libertadores, his greatest achievement as a manager.
\nHe sealed an eternal love affair with Rosario Central, which he twice saved from relegation, by winning the League Cup in December 2023.
\nIn 2017, he led Colombian side Millonarios to a championship title just one day after undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, earning himself undying affection in Bogota.
\nIn June, he agreed to coach Boca Juniors for a third time, four years after being sacked by the giants just six games into a new season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Football world mourns the loss of veteran coach Miguel Angel Russo, remembered for his legacy BUENOS AIRES The coach of Argentine football club Boca Juniors, Miguel Angel Russo, has died at the age of 69, the Argentine Football Association announced Wednesday. Russo\u2019s health had deteriorated in recent weeks. The last Boca Juniors game he attended […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-507789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n