Raised halfway between Carlos Salvador Bilardo and José Néstor Pékerman, that is, between the winning culture of Estudiantes de Plata and the academic culture of Argentinos Juniors, Néstor Lorenzo (Buenos Aires, 58 years old) played in the Italy 1990 final and was on the Germany bench 2006, both times with the Albiceleste. “Bilardo left nothing to chance, he was behind all the details that made the difference and had phrases like ‘work pays’. There is a lot of discussion about his idea of the game, but Bilardo wanted to play well and win. But if he had to prioritize, he thought that winning improves the game,” he explains. And he compares: “With Pékerman we left Argentinos, a school that taught you to play well, with a pivot who manages the times, with a classic 10, with full-backs who go on the attack. “José has the cutest idea in the game.”
Today, he is in charge of Colombia, which this Friday faces Spain at the Olympic Stadium in London (9:30 p.m., La1). La Roja once again faces the South American teams (on Tuesday, March 26, they will play against Brazil at the Bernabéu), once again in the showcase since Argentina was crowned in Qatar, after 20 years of European success in the World Cup. “Players from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay mature very quickly, much faster than Europeans. And they do it, basically, because of the competition they have, an almost fierce competition in the lower divisions that trains them in terms of a winning mentality,” explains Lorenzo.
Until Lionel Scaloni hit the roof of the football world in Qatar, Argentina was struggling in a sterile discussion between Bilardo and Cesar Luis Menotti. A similar one, less aggressive between the protagonists, occurred between Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. Everything came to nothing in Qatar. Another sporting son of Pékerman, Scaloni, led a team from the bench in which, finally, Messi dressed in Light Blue and White left the world at his feet.
“The cradle of the champion guarantees you a champion projection. Sometimes I hear: ‘We lost, but we have to learn from the mistake.’ Yes, that’s fine with me, but when you lose, you learn what not to do to lose. But that doesn’t teach you how to win. You learn to win, when you win. You have to educate to win. And if you want to win you have to be proactive, you have to be a protagonist…” reasons Lorenzo, immune to the labels of managerial coaches, interventionists or trainers.
“The coach has to be a little of everything. He has to know when to intervene, because he is the head of a group and is continually making decisions. Then he has to know what the players he has are like. That means managing human resources, our obligation is to enhance and help the personal growth of footballers. And, of course, since you have young players, you have to help them in training,” he details.
He assumed command of Colombia in 2022, after the tricolor failed to qualify for Qatar. Precisely, with Pékerman on the bench and with Lorenzo as his advisor, the South American team played its last two World Cups. “Colombia is in a good moment because there are several established players in European and South American clubs,” remembers Lorenzo, in reference to Luis Díaz (Liverpool), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Luis Sinisterra (Bournemouth), among others. And, of course, the still current talent of James Rodríguez (São Paulo). “But,” he clarifies; “We intend for there to be more. “There are players here who jump to Europe because of what they were able to show in the national team.” However, there is something that disturbs the Argentine coach: “There are Colombian players who spend three or four years adapting to European clubs. And it is because they go abroad without having played in a Copa Libertadores.” And, when he thinks about a football school, he puts the focus on Spain: “If we talk about training, Spain has been one of the best in the world for 25 years. Spain is first level. For us it is a great challenge to know where we stand and how we are working.”
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