The 2021 season of Sao Paulo football has not started yet, but it already promises a historical fact to call its own. Eventually, three of the state’s four biggest clubs are expected to begin competing with foreign coaches in the “New Year”.
Palmeiras has been led by Portuguese Abel Ferreira since last November. São Paulo announced the hiring of Argentina’s Hernán Crespo just a week ago. And Santos is also from Argentina in details confirming Ariel Holan.
It is not new to see three members of the “Iron Quartet” directed by Gringos in a single season, but this is something that has not happened for over 40 years. In 1978, Palmyras, Corinthians and Santos were led by Argentinean minds: Filpo Nunez, Armando Rengineski and Ramos Delgado.
But do you know what Abel, Crespo and Holan did abroad that would make them eligible to be hired by clubs in the top stair of Brazilian football. This is what “Blog Rafael Rees” answers below.
ABEL Ferreira
Portugusa
42 years
Palmyras (from November 2020)
PAOK-GRE (2019-20): 57 games, 63.7% success rate
Braga-POR (2016-19): 103 games, 65.7% success rate
Braga B-POR (2015-17): 103 games, 44.9% success rate
Sporting B-POR (2013-14): 42 games, 55.5% success rate
The current Libertadores champion ahead of Palmiras, Abel was a relatively successful right-back in Portuguese football in the 2000s, despite never defending the selection. After retiring at the age of 33, he took charge of Sporting’s Under-19 team in 2011, shortly after which he started hanging up his boots, and was already the first-class national champion in his first season.
In 2013, he became a coach in professional football, when he took on Team B of the Lisbon team, where he stayed for only one year. Then he went to Braga. In 2016, he had a chance to lead the main team on an interim basis, but the definite vacancy did not come until the following year.
In 2017/18, under Abel’s command, the club had the best season of its history. Despite only finishing fourth in Portuguese, he broke the record for points (75), wins (33, in the sum of all competitions) and goals scored (101, considering all tournaments).
Good work attracted the attention of PAOK. In Greece, now Palmyras commander was Vice National Champion and he won the classification for the preliminary round of the European Champions League this season, where he defeated Benfica by Georg Isa, in his last great act before going to Brazil – they lost to Krasnodar , From Russia, in a game that deserved a spot in the group stage.
HERN HN CRESPO
Argentina
45 years
Sao Paulo (since February 2021)
Defense and Justice-ARG (2020-21): 33 games, 52.5% gain
Banfield-ARG (2019): 18 games, 18 games, 33.3% success rate
Modena-ITA (2015-16): 35 games, 36.2% success rate
A former striker who played in three World Cups (1998, 2002 and 2006), the new coach from São Paulo will be his first opportunity to work at the club accustomed to the finishing championship at the top of the standings.
But, with a modest roster and few human resources to carry out expressive campaigns in national leagues, Crespo is already an important title in his coaching career: last year’s Copa Sudamericana, won at the head of Defensa y Justicia.
The former No. 9 began his coaching career in Italy, where he lived his best moments as a player. In 2014, Parma opened the door for her to work in the club’s youth ranks.
A year later, he was invited to direct Modena in Callisso’s B series. The experience did not work very well, and Kraso was fired in March, after three consecutive defeats and the team was threatened with a charge, a fall that later materialized.
It was only in 2019 that the former striker decided to return home and work in Argentina football. The first job at Banfield, lasted eight months and was very weak. In Defensa y Justicia, the story was different. The now commander of São Paulo not only defeated the South American team, but also set up a team, which was about to attack. In their last ten matches, the team has scored at least three goals in five.
ARIEL HOLAN
Argentina
60 years
Conversations with Santos FC
University of Cataliska-CHI (2019-21): 47 games, 48.9% success rate
Independent-ARG (2017-19): 103 games, 45.6% success rate
Defense and Justice-ARG (2015-16): 47 games, 36.2% gain
Campeonato has the strangest career in world football among favorites to lead Santos to Paulista. After all, it did not start in the most popular game on the planet, but in the second game.
Holan directed hockey teams in the 1980s and early 1990s, in the early 2000s. At the top of the Uruguay women’s team, she became a bronze medalist at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo-2003.
Soon after the competition, Argentina went to the United States to take a football course and from there he agreed to change his career. His first job was as an assistant at Arsenal de Sarandi. Later, he worked as an assistant in several clubs and worked at River Plate.
His first experience as a coach for an adult football team only appeared in 2015, when he was hired by Defensa y Justicia. The ticket earned the minor club the first classification for the Continental tournament, the Copa Sudamericana.
Recognized for his fine campaign, Hollan was “promoted” and captured the Independent, one of the great players in Argentine football. With him, he won the South American Championship and held the party inside Maracana, against Flamengo.
Argentina’s most recent job was at Università Catalisa, where he stayed until last week. Argentina remained there for a year and two months and left with the Chile Championship trophy, won in advance and with eight points advantage for another, in their arms.
