Oscar Ruggeri He has clear opinions and says them bluntly. That made him one of the most sought-after panelists in Argentine football. And when it comes to discussing National Team coaches, Cabezón does not avoid any duel. In a recent talk, the world champion in Mexico 86 was encouraged to put together his own ranking of the technicians who directed him and chose, without hesitation, the best of all.
The exercise began with a duel that few remember: Catwalk versus Bielsa. Ruggeri acknowledged that as a player, Pasarela was “the better centre-back” – a peer rivalry that he knew closely – but Loco won on the bench. First round for Bielsa.
Then came the duel between Bielsa and José Pékerman. Once again the Fool was victorious. The coach who revolutionized Argentine soccer with his intensity and his notebooks continued to advance in the imaginary Cabezón tournament.
But in the next round a name appeared that Ruggeri himself loved with special affection: Sergio “Checho” Batistayour friend. However, friendship does not weigh when it comes to choosing the best. Bielsa continued on his way.
The next fight was between Bielsa and the Paton Bauza. No drama: Bielsa. But then came the turn of the great Coco Basilethe coach who knew how to get the best out of that golden generation of the nineties. There, yes, the Fool fell. Basile dethroned Bielsa and advanced to the final.
The grand finale had a special flavor: Carlos Bilardo versus Coco Basile. The coach who led Argentina to glory in the 86 World Cup in Mexico—and who coached Ruggeri precisely in that historic squad—trumped Basile. A victory that has the sentimental burden of the gold medal and the human group that most marked Cabezón’s career.
Then came the million dollar question: Bilardo or Scaloni. The coach of ’86 or the coach of the Scaloneta, Messi’s generation that once again put Argentina at the top of the world with the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Ruggeri did not think about it: he chose Bilardo. It is not ingratitude with Scaloni or with Messi. It is the mark left on a player by the coach who made you world champion when you were young, when everything began. For Cabezón, Bilardo is and will always be the greatest.
