the incredible turn in the career of Ricardo La Volpe

“Football is the art of the unthinkable” it is often said. And from time to time that phrase makes sense. This occasion is one of them. The person in charge of reviving it is none other than Ricardo La Volpe, a specialist in the field of breaking any stereotype installed in the world of baseball through controversial phrases as well as the style of play he gave to his teams. So much so that it was the Mexican Argentinian who marked Pep Guardiola’s football philosophy after his time in Mexico. Therefore, the paradox is his new football destiny: the former coach of Boca and the Azteca National Team moves to the least expected league: he has just been hired to direct the Kings League of Ibai Plains.

Although his last club was Toluca in 2019 and he had been working as a commentator for quite some time and being part of several television programs in Mexico, La Volpe continues to be a fan of football, strategy and its evolution over time. . “You always have to update yourself by watching a lot of football from all sides,” he usually argues. That is why it does not sound far-fetched that his return to the substitute bench will not be in the professional field, but to direct FC Boysthe team of the Argentine influencer and comedian Jerónimo Freixas. Yes, at 71 years old, The Mustache He was encouraged to take a step forward and will now be wearing his classic suit and tie in a tournament that is broadcast by streaming.

The only complication that La Volpe may have is that the fans of his new team will be mostly adolescents or even primary school children. Therefore, there is a chance that few people know him and are aware of the manager their team will have. It will be a back that he will have to start building from scratch to gain the trust of the club’s 50,000 fans, according to the number of followers he has on his Instagram account.

That is why, for those who do not remember or the young people who heard little about the creator of the current called “lavolpism”, it is worth remembering that he is a high-profile technician who has just taken an unexpected turn in his career. Beyond being Argentine and being a character sometimes questioned for his ways of communicating with the players and the press, he carries the experience of directing a World Cup with the Mexican National Team in 2006, a country where he lived for more than 20 years and is considered an authorized word, especially in clubs such as América, Toluca and Atlante. He also played for the Costa Rican National Team.

His tactics reached the level that Pep Guardiola admitted to being his pupil and having relied, on more than one occasion, on the way the Argentine made his teams get out of the bottom. The famous Lavolpiana Exit. “What Guardiola does, I already did“He responded to the praise.

Likewise, it is true that the reputation he built in Mexico based on “good treatment of the ball and going to win games” did not have the same success during his stay in Argentina. Precisely, one of the most remembered steps of his in the career of the also world champion archer in 1978 is not positive at all.

It was when he came to Boca in 2006 after his time in Mexico to supplant Coco Basile who had left a leading team in the Apertura tournament and on the verge of its first three-time championship. La Volpe came with a Concacaf Cup and lowered its arm and Xeneize reached the final stretch of the championship needing only one point out of six to win, but ended up losing both and had to play a tiebreaker with Estudiantes. Finally, he lost the match and the coach created one of the biggest stains of his career. Then, he would have other steps through Vélez and Banfield to end up returning to Mexico.

But now, to Ricardo the bug bit him to get back to doing what he likes most: reinventing himself. This is where the decision to immerse himself in an influencer tournament – in which Kun Agüero participates – possibly lies, which began in Spain with the help of the streamer Ibai Llanos and Gerard Piqué in 2021. Its great impact generated its landing in America by 2024. , precisely in Mexico, his beloved land to direct.

Likewise, the fact that it is a competition that is still uncommon in the sporting field does not mean that La Volpe sees it as a challenge. “Hello Jero. I am proud to be able to send you this message because being the first coach of your team is very important to me,” confirmed the coach, in a charismatic video that the Argentine actor published on his social networks to confirm the arrival of his brand new DT.

And in case there were any doubts, Ricardo added: “We are going to lead the Boys Soccer Club to be a winning teama team with a mentality, a team that goes for the greater objective, which is to become champion.”

The experience that overflows from Bigotón’s pockets leaves Muchachos FC a step above the rest of the 11 teams that compete in the Kings League. However, Ricardo will have to study hard to achieve results. The thing is that the world he entered differs in many aspects from traditional football.

The curiosities that stand out the most about the Kings League, and with which La Volpe will have to get used to, is that the matches are divided into two 20-minute halves and each team is made up of seven non-professional players. Likewise, by date each team can count on a luxury reinforcement, most of whom are former footballers at the level of Ronaldinho.

Furthermore, there is no tie, but all matches must end in victory, with the match going to extra time if there is equality in the 40 minutes. Therefore, the standings will be measured based on wins and losses, not points. A format similar to that of the NBA.

Likewise, what is most surprising about this tournament are the so-called “Surprise Weapons.” What are they about? They are wildcards that a team can use at certain moments of the match and provide benefits such as a goal being worth double, the chance to cancel a penalty against it or the possibility of suspending an opponent of your choice for a few minutes. Yes, all that in a football game.

The competition begins in January, so La Volpe will have less than a month to study the new rulesmeet their new players, teach them the Lavolpiana exit and put first the most innovative experience in 40 years of experience.

“Football is like chess because in each match there are specific moves,” explains Ricardo, who will face a game system that he has never played against and will have to find a way around it that will allow him to continue putting his rivals in check. What is confirmed is that Muchachos FC is already one move ahead in the fight for the title.