Ruben Darío Insúa spoke for the first time as head coach of San Lorenzo de Almagro following his return to the club. The manager, beginning his third spell in charge, outlined his immediate objectives during a presentation this Wednesday at midday, as reported by Clarin Deportes.
The veteran coach returns after 29 months away from Boedo. He was introduced by president Marcelo Culotta, who highlighted his importance to the institution. "El significado que tiene Ruben Darío Insúa es muy importante, es parte de la historia de San Lorenzo de Almagro y de cada uno de nosotros", stated the president. Insúa took charge on Monday and has already overseen his first training sessions.
What are the immediate goals?
The primary goal is clear: reach the Torneo Clausura playoffs. San Lorenzo de Almagro currently sits tenth in Zone A with 10 points after eight matchdays. They are six points behind leaders Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza and just one point behind Boca Juniors, who hold the eighth place that grants access to the final phase. "Quedan ocho fechas y buscaremos estar en los playoffs. Ese es el objetivo en el corto plazo", declared Insúa. The coach also expressed his hope that the team qualifies for an international tournament, which is determined by the annual table where El Ciclón is 20th.
The current context, according to our verified data, shows a team coming off a 1-0 win over Talleres Córdoba on September 5th. That victory is part of a recent run of two wins, one draw, and two losses in the last five matches. In the overall Liga Profesional table, San Lorenzo is 14th with 7 points, having scored only 2 goals and conceded 5. They trail leaders Instituto de Córdoba by 9 points. You can check the full evolution on our standings page.
How is the team shaping up for the debut?
Insúa takes over in the final stretch of the season, with just three months ahead. He said the first three days of work were completed as planned and that the team has long weeks to prepare for matches. The coach confirmed there will be almost no changes to the team for his debut. He spoke with seven or eight players in recent days and received a unified message about the joy in the dressing room after the win against Talleres. Insúa valued that the victory improved the group's confidence and self-esteem, noting the team had an overall good performance, with a very good second half, and outperformed Talleres in play and physicality.
What's next on the schedule?
Insúa's debut will be this Sunday, September 13th at 19:15 against Independiente at the Libertadores de América stadium. El Rojo is seventh in the table, promising a tough clash. One week later, El Ciclón will host Boca Juniors at the Pedro Bidegain, another high-difficulty match. "Son partidos muy difíciles, como todos en el fútbol argentino", admitted the manager. Insúa emphasized the importance of day-to-day work and the need to make good and deep decisions in little time due to being in the final stage of the tournament. The full schedule for these key commitments is available on our fixtures calendar.
With eight matchdays left to play, the path to the playoffs begins in Avellaneda. The mission for Ruben Darío Insúa is clear and the time to accomplish it, limited.
