Gallardo’s Napoli: form, players, victories, how they play

Stopped for exactly one year after his glorious experience at River Plate, where he became the most successful coach in history, the Argentine is waiting for the right opportunity to get back into the game. His goal, after having marked an era in South America with his River of Miracles between 2014 and 2022, is to conquer Europe too. But without compromising. In front of the Monumental, the temple of the “millonarios”, stands a bronze statue of him measuring 7 meters by 6.5 tons, a tribute to those who have reached the Olympus of River Plate idols such as Angel Labruna and Ramon Diaz.

WHAT HE WON

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That Gallardo had a winning DNA even as a coach was clear from his first experience on the bench of Nacional Montevideo, where he won the title on the first try. Then River Plate, where he won practically everything, replicating what he had already done as a player. In the eight and a half years in which he remained at the helm of the “millonarios”, Gallardo collected an impressive 14 titles, including two Copa Libertadores. Adding up the trophies won as a player, he is the most successful person in the history of the club like Labruna, as well as the architect of the most iconic triumph of all, the one in the 2018 Superclasico in Madrid which earned him the fourth Libertadores in the Riverplatense showcase. Gallaro was the only one capable of reaching the top of the continent with River both as a player and as a coach, as well as having signed an innumerable series of records, from the best streak of positive results (32) to the three consecutive awards as best coach of the continent. With him on the bench, River Plate simply dominated the continental scene for almost fifteen years. The only flaw? Having only won one championship.

FORMS

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The main feature of Gallardo is transformism, because there is not a single reference module. The Argentine’s only belief is control, domination of the ball, which can be achieved in different ways and with different strategies. The predilection for the four-man defense (without excluding the three-man from time to time) often translates into a 4-1-2-1-2 or a 4-1-3-2, formations which however vary depending on the to the game phase. Regardless of the modules, which Gallardo also loves to impose on the youth team to facilitate the path to inclusion in the first team, the Argentine leverages above all on concepts such as rhythm, intensity, pressing (furious) and immediate recovery of the ball. Stylistically he has never made a secret of being a follower of Bielsa, insisting on building from the bottom and on the central role of the full-backs, often transformed into added attackers. The ball turn must always be as quick as possible and aimed at verticalization. In short, Gallardo demands a leading team that imposes its own game.

SYMBOL PLAYERS

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In the eight and a half years at the helm of River Plate, many players were launched by Gallardo, who proved to be a specialist in molding talents from the academy and in regenerating from year to year a squad systematically deprived of its most valuable pieces. During the Gallardo cycle, River placed 38 players in the first division, many of whom sold for gold in Europe. The last in chronological order were Julian Alvarez, now the jewel of Manchester City who Gallardo launched in the historic Libertadores final won in Madrid against Boca Juniors, and Enzo Fernandez, sold to Benfica before moving to Chelsea for 70 million. But the list is very long and includes Alario, Borré, De La Cruz, the Funes Mori brothers, Palacios, Montiel, Pezzella, Martinez Quarta and Giovanni Simeone. Among the symbols of his River, also the former “Italian” Lucas Pratto and the stainless Enzo Perez.

CHANGING ROOM MANAGEMENT

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One of Gallardo’s main strengths was undoubtedly his management of the locker room. For his ability to keep the group together, the Argentine has often been compared to Zidane and Ancelotti, two specialists in the field who have been unanimously recognized as having a particular leadership quality, especially in groups full of prima donnas and illustrious names. The internal controversies and short circuits in the River Plate locker room could be counted on the fingers of one hand in his eight-odd years of management, the same ones that saw the passing of players with strong personalities such as Cavenaghi, Maidana, Pisculichi, Quintero, D’Alessandro and many others. In Gallardo, the rigor of the technician who always demands the maximum without accepting a moment of relaxation and the empathy of the leader who he is able to understand and motivate at the same time blend perfectly. The River one, during the Gallardo cycle, has always appeared as a united, compact and hermetic changing room, indifferent to external stresses. The nickname of Napoleon, given to him by a journalist, says a lot about the innate leadership qualities and summarized by a famous comparison of the then president Rodolfo D’Onofrio. “Like Napoleon, Gallardo convinces his troops of the combat strategy to follow. Once on the pitch, the players follow him with conviction and devotion.”

FAMOUS PHRASES

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Gallardo’s communication skills were another strong point in his “millennial” era. Many of his phrases, both during press conferences and interviews, have become slogans relaunched by the club itself on social networks rather than banners displayed at the Monumental. Gallardo gave one of the most iconic phrases on the day of the official presentation at River to respond to the skeptics who underlined the risk of taking up the legacy of a sacred monster like Ramon Diaz. “I believe I was born to face great challenges,” he said then, showing his chest. The rest is recent history and, above all, successful.