There is only one fact that unites them: they are the ones who have been at their club the longest among the 30 first-class coaches. Gustavo Costas He is completing his second year as a racing coach. Eduardo Dominguez still has one in Estudiantes. Three seasons without moving from one place on the rollercoaster ride that is Argentine football is a lifetime. Are they successful because they have a bank? Or did they bench them because they were successful? Of course there will be both. It is not about extending the cycles of all technicians until the results are available.
Except in force, Costas and Domínguez They differ in almost everything the rest. If there is no infallible recipe, there is even less that wins. The outbursts of the first, the restraint of the second. The passion that is infectious versus the security that is convincing. The one who responds to an unknown fan who received his number and the one who does not have WhatsApp on his cell phone. Tremendous reactions against the referees in the adrenaline of the field, sharp answers in the quiet of the press conference. One team, Racing, usually prioritizes its attacking weapons, which are more patient now but are on the verge of being tactically offensive at this point. Estudiantes, on the other hand, have no problem giving up the initiative and waiting for the moment to strike. Domínguez models practical equipment. Even in the image they differ: more sophisticated, Eduardo; of sportswear, Gustavo, who one can easily imagine wearing the same at home from the games, as long as it is his club’s clothing.
Even when planning for the future, they do not go through the same conditions. It is known who will manage Racing in 2026, but it is not yet certain who will manage Estudiantes. Diego Milito suggested that Costas be extended after being eliminated from the Libertadores. It was November 3rd when his team wasn’t even guaranteed qualification for the round of 16 of this tournament. The general logic is to wait for goals to be achieved or not to renew a coach’s contract. There are opposite cases. For example, with his early decision, River not only wanted to formalize his trust in Marcelo Gallardo, but also to find a way to restore the important triumphs that had been forgotten before the end of the season; However, after the announcement, they lost the Superclásico, were immediately eliminated from the tournament and did not enter the Libertadores.
Costas defies all logic. He didn’t have to reach the finish line yet for them to offer him the opportunity to renew the covenant. That’s what Milito thought, who had other preferences when he thought about becoming president of the club. But he did it by prioritizing what works over other flavors. He had discernment. Maybe it would be difficult for him to put together identity teams in other Argentine clubs, but Costas works in racing. It’s not just a speech. It also shows tactical details, such as the variation in the number of defenders depending on the opponent. Although the feeling is the starting point and the arrival point.
Estudiantes, on the other hand, waits until further away to sit down with Domínguez. The club says they won’t talk about 2026 until next week. More than once, in the year of departure in 2025, rumors about his possible departure dominated La Plata. The technician himself argued with the journalists he allegedly heard installing these versions. In a game against Huracán in July, he did what he rarely did: he protected himself from the heat of the people. He stepped out of the background for a moment, raised his arms in front of the people who applauded him, and the support built, added to the 2-1 after the partial 0-1, was a restart of the cycle.
Cradle the trainer as she is, With students, it is difficult for a coach to be successful if he deviates from historical lines. The restraint, the fact that it is perceived as tedious and the formation of teams with a strong personality should be in the catalogue. It will be for another column whether we can still talk about Bilardismo or Menottismo among current technicians (opinion advantage: practically not), but when none other than Juan Sebastián Verón looked in other sources, the reception of the people was not the best. To Domínguez, without being of the kidney (he was trained in Vélez and strengthened in Huracán), The students accepted it naturally because it has these virtues. And because he won.
When selecting a technical director, the tournament format should be taken into account. There are those who specialize in long-term competitions where the one with the best overall performance wins. There are those who focus better on what is on time, those who save what is outstanding from their team and what is deficient for head-to-head strategy. That of the method and that of motivation. Although Domínguez appears to belong to the first group, he does well as a member of the second, into which Costas fits perfectly. It will be the other common point they have Who will determine the Clausura tournament?a star won among so many made-up trophies through merit, not proximity to power.
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