Those who know him in his daily life say that
Diego Latorre
does not consider (or does not dare to) lead a football team because he knows that "they are waiting for him." The thing is, that exquisite striker from
Boca
and
Racing
is today one of the best soccer commentators on Argentine television, although that does not guarantee that he can apply his knowledge on the playing field: that seems like another science (and not one of the exact ones). ). The theory could be applied to
Sebastián Domínguez
, the coach who has just taken charge of the technical direction of Tigre and is now a prisoner of his words: as Gambetita intuits, Domínguez "was expected."
It is worth remembering, until the end of 2021 Sebastián Domínguez was a panelist on F-90, the program hosted by Sebastián Vignolo on ESPN. There the former Newell's and Vélez seemed solid, although many times his sentences were too decisive: "This goes for Román, for the council and for the rest of the leaders:
I would like to know what the preparation was for directing the most popular club in "Argentina
," he asked himself in one of Boca's crises, pointing to the heads who run the club.
In November 2021, Hernán Crespo invited Sebastián Domínguez to accompany him in his project as technical director and left his role as commentator to experience football from the inside. "I left the program... It had to be something like that to see myself away from this place. (Hernán) has a style and a message that is what I fight for. I never prepared myself to be here and I feel that I learned a lot because I take things that I didn't know," he said goodbye to the air.
At the beginning of April of this year, Domínguez faced his personal project and grabbed a hot iron: he replaced Pipo Gorosito as coach of a Tigre that was not getting a foothold. Up to that point, he had ordered 7 out of 10 and things didn't change much with his arrival.
He debuted with a 3-1 against Platense
. Understanding where he was coming from, after the game he assured that he was not going to miss any press conference, regardless of the results: "Things happened that way, but I will always come to talk after the games."
Domínguez's Matador finished the first stage of the year without winning
, although the most serious thing is that the team shows no signs of lifting its head.
The last blow was this Wednesday: while Manchester City vs Real Madrid were playing,
Tigre was eliminated by Chacarita
from the Argentine Cup, in the resumption of a match that had been suspended due to an attack against the player Brandán. Precisely the man whom Pipo Gorosito accused of "heading a bottle" was the executioner who settled the penalty shootout. Karma, what do they call it?
The guy Gorosito said headed the bottle eliminated Tigre in the final penalty jsjsjakakjapic.twitter.com/MrVVpWQnBH
— bokita edits 🔪🐔 (@cabjedits) April 17, 2024
After Tigre's defeat, an avalanche of memes appeared that made fun of Sebastián Domínguez. Many of those who paid him were
riquelmistas
: "And you saw how things are, we have to prepare," they gloated. But there were other freethinkers: "He doesn't have a clue...". "
We must celebrate every defeat of this boy, superb and button
," they said, among the publishables.
To make matters worse, eleven days after ensuring that he would never suspend a conference,
in his fourth defeat Domínguez did not address the press
. And yes, the haters lined up to destroy him on the networks - now - for not keeping his word.
The new technical director echoed the criticism and a day later decided to respond. He did so by quoting a tweet from the @juegosimple account that left him offside: "Yesterday, after going to the locker room,
I asked where the press conference was
. I was told that for
the Argentine Cup there was no
such (nor a mixed zone). From there I went to talk to the referee about the goal play, I was there for approximately 30 minutes.
I didn't suspend or miss any conferences
," he defended himself.
Yesterday, after going to the locker room, I asked where the press conference was. I was informed that there was no such thing for the Argentine Cup (nor was there a mixed zone). From there I went to talk to the referee about the goal play, I was there for approximately 30'. I did not fail or miss any conferences. https://t.co/VaqInI3jNv
— Sebastian Domínguez (@sebadominguez6) April 18, 2024
"They are dead": the day Domínguez didn't know what to say
A few days before, on April 13, at the close of the League Cup, Tigre had lost to Unión. Nothing new: Mosqueira's goal for Kily González's team closed the domestic tournament with 11 defeats in 14 games.
After the match, Domínguez sat at a press conference and was surprised: "In my heart,
there are players who can't play in Tigre because they are turtles
. I'm going to give you names: Sánchez Miño is a turtle, I don't know how he can play in Tiger and I don't know what you'll see in him," a partisan journalist began.
The coach listened, while the catharsis was raising tension: "I value your pride for having taken this team because
seeing these dead people, the truth is that if I were a coach I wouldn't take it
. I don't blame you: these players are dead. "he insisted.
"
What's the question? That was a shock...
", Domínguez managed to respond, somewhat confused.
UNUSUAL GOING AND RETURN OF SEBASTIÁN DOMÍNGUEZ WITH A JOURNALIST!💣💥
😳 The #Tigre coach experienced an incredible episode at a press conference, after the defeat with Unión, which took him by surprise: "WHAT IS THE QUESTION?" He expressed annoyance at the claim about his… pic.twitter.com/NBvSpEekh1
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) April 14, 2024
Domínguez did not know what to do and he did not have the reaction to defend his players, which once again put him in the eye of the storm. Collective memory takes us to the day that Carlos Salvador Bilardo burst into the studio of Tiempo Nuevo, Bernardo Neustadt's program, to defend Sergio Goycochea after José San Filippo's ruthless criticism after the 0-5 against Colonia.
"You have to stop and you have to go," Narigón advised the archer, while he fought with "El Nene." The detail: at that time, the man who won the second World Cup for Argentina did not lead the team (it was Basile's team), however he considered Goyco as one of his own.
Domínguez's lack of empathy for his team sparked debate in the strips on sports channels. And they marked the contrast with historical reactions from other technicians. In TYC Sports they remembered the day that Bianchi got into a fight with a plate player who insulted Miguel Caneo, then a youth player: "
But don't worry, kid. If you don't like it, leave. The kid is 19 years old!
", the Viceroy stood up.
There are plenty of examples of coaches defending their attacked players. Maradona with Garcé and with some outburst after qualifying for South Africa with his players with the remembered "you have it in you" to Toti Pasman. Or Basile telling journalist Héctor Gallo that his players "played great", after a poor performance by Boca.
However, the heaviest backpack that Sebastián Domínguez carries may be that sentence regarding the arrival of Lionel Scaloni to the Argentine National Team. The file speaks: "
You have to put together a project...
", Oscar Ruggeri complained on ESPN F-90 about the arrival of Pujato's coach who went from Sampaoli's assistant to the main head of the group. Then, the now Tigre DT interrupted him, "
does this seem like a serious project to you?
", in a question with an induced answer. "Noooo...", the world champion got along in Mexico '86.
That conversation took place before the 2021 Copa América
that Argentina would win and would be the birth of the Scaloneta. The auction was in charge of Sebastián Vignolo: "If I have to think with my heart, I want to become champion of America to die with Messi. But if I have to just think, I say
'no, I prefer to do things better and then what happens comes. he has to come
". When the driver finished, one of his companions supported his sentence: "It makes me want to hug you."
The truth is that Domínguez left aside his time as a commentator to dedicate himself to technical direction. Although it is too early for any sentence, at the moment he cannot sustain in results what was deduced from his words: for now, of the 4 games he directed, he lost three and tied one, although he was later eliminated on penalties.
I don't think it's the one who disappeared from the media, Sebastián Domínguez, who wrote the note to Scaloni because he didn't want Lionel, maybe it's the other Sebastián, Vignolo, although he didn't want him either, in fact they wanted things to go badly for the National Team (watch video) pic .twitter.com/cCkGYpNLib
— PerioMercenarios (@PerioMercenario) November 10, 2022
"To think that he was counting Scaloni's ribs," wrote a user on X. One of the thousands who were waiting for him.