Álvaro Gutiérrez, his outstanding work with minors in Uruguay that he hopes to repeat at Universitario

Twenty minutes of conversation convinced Jean Ferrari that the Uruguayan Alvaro Gutierrez He was the ideal technician for University of Sports. A tour coach who has one thing clear: win before anything else.

Yesterday the charrúa strategist who will be in charge of the cream squad throughout the year was presented. He got to know the club through the words of Gregorio Pérez after several conversations and he already saw them on the field of play in the 3-0 win over Cantolao last Sunday.

“My style is quite pragmatic”, you accept. Something that was already known with statements from himself in his past clubs and from Uruguayan colleagues. “He is not a good football coach, but he is effective. His teams don’t play that well, but they win”, confirms Enrique Arrillaga, from “El País” in Uruguay, where Gutiérrez won two national titles, the last one in 2019.

“He is the ideal coach for Universitario”, accepts Jean Ferrari. “Because of the characteristics of the ‘U’, we are going to get along great. I like them to run, to score, to fight, that’s the first thing, the ABC’s of football and that’s where the other things come from,” he replies to El Comercio when he is reminded that the claw is the main characteristic of the cream painting .

Thus, in the afternoon he went to Campo Mar for his first training session with the squad. He will work together with Mario Picón (assistant), Gabriel Gutiérrez and Santiago Giarrusso as physical trainers. Last Sunday he directed Manuel Barreto, who will return to his work in the minor divisions.

youth project

The future of a club is in its minors not only because of the contribution on the field, but because of what it means that they emigrate in the coming years. In Universitario there are several projects and the new coach already praised the work of Piero Quispe (20 years old), a skilled midfielder who has appeared in great shape since last year. He “he was seen to be very lively, engaging. He is a young man who has good abilities”, he assures.

However, the new coach will have to look further into the youth to be able to fulfill the bag of minutes –1,785 in the year– with players from the 2002 category onwards, that is, those under 20 years of age. Although he assured that he does not agree with the measure –“I am not of the idea that because he is a youth he should play”, he says–, he does not run to the challenge of betting on minors. he assures us and from Uruguay they corroborate the information.

“In Nacional, he opted for several youths who later emigrated. He gave them confidence for being a man of the house”, Arrillaga tells us, but more happened in his first stage, in 2014.

Names like Jose Ajawho was sold to Racing and in 2016 reached the MLS. Leandro Barciawhich came to Brazilian football from Uruguay can also be considered.

Santiago Rodriguez had his debut with Gutiérrez this year he arrived at the New York City of the MLS

Thus, players like the aforementioned Piero Quispe, José Rugel (20 years old), Piero Guzmán (22), Alfonso Barco (20), Thiago Cantoro (21) will have to prove their worth to be considered. Meanwhile, the creams will have to solve a problem for the bag. Of the squad that remained from last year, only Guillermo Larios (19) adds up for it. However, in the preseason they worked with guys like Holsen Cubas (2003 category), Cardos Diogo (2003) and Jorge Tandazo (2004).

That will be one of Gutiérrez’s challenges in the merengue store. It is known of the requirement to achieve the title, which the creams have not celebrated since 2013, and of a good role in the Copa Libertadores –they have not played the group stage since 2014–, but the youth bet is also another task to be fulfilled in clubs that must find another way to generate resources in the export.

Yesterday he already worked with the first team and this Friday he must go out on the pitch. The ‘U’ will face San Martín at the Monumental, and its audience in the stands awaits another great performance.