Chilean soccer
is
an attractive market for Argentines. For years, dozens of players and coaches have chosen to emigrate to the other side of the mountain range. But what happens in 2024 is a kind of invasion, a phenomenal
boom
that causes
91 footballers born in Argentina
- or with nationality - to play in the First Division of Chile. A no small fact: the championship has 16 teams; That is, the average is 5.5, of Argentines per club. And much more:
there are 7 coaches
.
According to the specialized site
Transfermarkt,
in 2023 77 Argentines played in Chile; in 2022, 76; in 2021, 69 and in 2020, 80. In 1994, the year in which
Alberto Acosta and Néstor Gorosito shone at Universidad Católica
, there were 16 footballers from our country on Chilean soil.
Chile's economic stability is what makes the difference, although it is not the only thing.
Annual inflation in 2023 in the neighboring country was 3.9 percent
and that generates peace of mind for footballers and coaches.
At the beginning of this year, a modification was made to the tournament regulations: the number of foreigners allowed went from 5 to 6, in addition to the fact that only 5 can sign a form to go out and play.
The preference for Argentine coaches also facilitates the arrival of soccer players due to their knowledge and adaptability. The living conditions in Chile are similar to those in Argentina and that is why the players do not suffer acclimatization.
There are other factors, of course. The representative Cristian Bragarnik has a strong influence in
Unión La Calera
and that is why it is not surprising that there are 10 Argentines that make up the squad: Matías Ibáñez, Ezequiel Parnisari, Nicolás Ferreyra, Luciano Arnijas, Luciano Aued, Matías Muñoz, Axel Encinas, Gabriel Hauche , Emanuel Gigliotti and Franco Soldano. More: the coach is
Manuel Fernández
. Another fact: La Calera will play in the Copa Sudamericana.
"The Chilean is a league that has an internal market to grow. If you have a good campaign in a second or third level team, you can go to a big team. Gustavo Álvarez became champion with Huachipato and the University of Chile went looking for him," Manuel Fernández tells
Clarín
. And he continues: "Afterwards, this is a visible championship that takes you to other places, especially Mexico. That seduces the footballer and the coach. In addition, the organization is correct, the grounds are comfortable, the stadiums are beautiful. Everything works well "And finally there is the economy and proximity: Chile gives you the possibility of closing contracts in dollars one hour by plane from Buenos Aires."
Manuel Fernández, the Argentine who heads the coaching staff of Unión La Calera, in Chile. Photo: La Calera Press.
"There is a situation that exceeds football and that is the country. The uncertainty generates that very close alternative markets are competition. Before they were not. A normal salary for a club in Chile or Paraguay is between 10,000 and 12,000 dollars, which at Argentine football is difficult to match," Bragarnik acknowledged in TyC Sports.
Audax Italiano
is the other club in which Bragarnik is strong and has 8 Argentines on its roster: Oscar Ustari, Guillermo Ortíz, Germán Guiffrey, Emanuel Cecchini, Gonzalo Ríos, Alessandro Riep, Lautaro Palacios and Thomas Rodríguez (son of Leonardo, who knew how to play at the University of Chile in the 90's).
Racing will face
Coquimbo Kingdom
in Group H of the Sudamericana and there Gustavo Costas and company must be prepared to face 9 Argentines: Salvador Sánchez, Elvis Hernandez, Bruno Cabrera, Alejandro Camargo, Luciano Cabral, Dylan Glaby, Jonathan Raccio, Andrés Chávez and Nicolás Johansen.
Colo Colo
is directed by
Jorge Almirón
and is part of Group A of the Copa Libertadores. Fernando de Paul, Emiliano Amor, Ramiro González Hernández, Leonardo Gil, Matías Moya and Leandro Benegas are the Argentines of the Cacique.
Huachipato
will be Estudiantes' rival in Group C and
Javier Sanguinetti
commands the team's destinies. The squad is made up of: Imanol González, Renzo Malanca, Franco Vega, Sebastián Sáez and Julián Brea.
Pablo Vitamina Sánchez
will lead
Palestino
in Group E and will be able to use César Rigamonti, Jonathan Benítez, Nicolás Linares, Pablo Palacio and Gonzalo Sosa.
The last of the participants in the Libertadores is
Cobresal
, which will face Talleres and has in its ranks Leandro Requena, Franco Bechtholdt, Leandro Navarro, Gastón Lezcano, Franco García and Lucas Di Maio.
Two of the country's largest,
Universidad Católica
and
Universidad de Chile
, also have Argentines on the staff. The U has been directed since January of this year
by Gustavo Álvarez
and has Juan Pablo Gómez, Franco Calderón, Matías Zaldivia, Emmanuel Ojeda, Federico Mateos, Leandro Fernández and Luciano Pons. Meanwhile, for the Crusaders, Lucas Menossi, Agustín Farías, Joaquín Torres and Fernando Zampedri play.
Emiliano Vecchio left Racing through the back door and ended up at
Unión Española
to share the squad with Diego Pulpo González and Franco Frías. Even more unusual was the departure of Brian Martínez, one of Independiente's best in 2023. El Chaco signed with
Everton
to be led by
Esteban Solari
and to accompany Rodrigo Contreras in the attack.
The surprising leader of the Chilean championship is
Deportes Iquique
, which has Daniel Sappa, Joaquín Novillo, Lázaro Romero and Enzo Hoyos in its ranks.
Nicolás Avellaneda, Marco Campagnaro, Marco Borgnino, Agustín Mulet and Cristián Insaurralde defend the
Cobreloa
shirt , while Lautaro Pignata, Gabriel Graciani, Ismael Sosa and Emanuel Herrera do so for
Ñublense
. In addition,
Álvaro Cazula, Jorge Luna, Juan Jaime, Tobías Figueroa, Maximiliano Quinteros and Franco Torres participate
in the humble
Copiapó .
Diego Buonanotte in a Deportivo O'Higgins training session. Photo: O'Higgins Press
O'Higgins
from Rancagua is another of the protagonists of the tournament led by coach
Juan Manuel Azconzábal
, also from the Bragarnik team. Nicolás Peranic, Leonel Mosevich, Juan Ignacio Díaz, Diego Buonanotte, Carlos Auzqui, Martín Sarrafiore and Octavio Bianchi.
"Chile has economic solidity and respect for private property. Also, it is a market that allows second or third level soccer players,"
Juan Cruz Oller, representative of the Auzqui striker, explains to
Clarín
. The agent set up an office in Santiago and recruited, among others, Colo Colo goalkeeper Eduardo Villanueva, Bastian Rocco and Iván Morales, Sarmiento de Junín forward. "An average monthly salary in Chile can be around 8,000 dollars. And a good one can go up to 30,000," clarifies Oller.
The SAD in Chile
Since 2006, Sports Joint Stock Companies have been allowed in Chile. And little by little the clubs fell into the charms of the investors. Currently, of the 45 professional soccer clubs, 42 are corporations and only three are corporations: Cobresal, Curicó Unidos (Second Category) and Deportes Puerto Montt, the last two active in the second category.
Of those in the First Division, it is insisted, only Cobresal is not a SAD. "Starting in 2006 with the Corporations Law, the Cobresal Club was transformed into a sports corporation, with this the board of directors is responsible for the Club and in the event of any eventuality they must respond with their personal assets," they warn on their website.
The club in which Bragarnik is strong is Unión La Calera, whose 85.8 percent belongs to Andes Inversiones Deportivas SA of Ricardo Pini, Sebastian Pini and the aforementioned Bragarnik. Likewise, from Chile they warn that the footballer representative has his own voice in Audax Italiano, San Luis (Second) and Fernández Vial (Tercera).