The reunion was not easy. The harsh words launched by Mauricio Pellegrino against Azul Azul after losing to Copiapó and the eight dates they did not know victory, made the atmosphere of the Azul Sports Center scary.
For this reason, the Argentine coach and his team arrived at the venue located in La Cisterna knowing that there were outstanding accounts and that it was time to settle them. And the trans-Andean took the initiative.
When the players were ready to start the first practice of the week, the technical director gathered them in the middle of the field and spoke in harsh terms with his students. A meeting that lasted more than half an hour and had an excited Pellegrino talking about the mistakes made in recent days, especially the defensive ones, and that ended with an invitation to work again -good to end the bad streak against Audax Italiano.
The game is the key for the team’s secular aspirations, because -even with their terrible campaign – they still have a chance of qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana. Now U is only three units away from seventh place, occupied by Universidad Católica, facing Colo Colo, and by adding three points it plunges the Italics into the fight for permanence.
In addition, on the board of Azul Azul – which will meet this Thursday – there are different positions regarding the continuation of the strategist, although all agree that he will not continue next year. And even if there is not enough money in the coffers of the student concessionaire, it will not create a big loss to remove DT just three months before the end of his contract, if he falls hard in front of Italic.
However, there are voices in the management that want to keep the player in Córdoba until the arrival of the Pan American recess and then remove him, because the interim, who will be Sebastián Miranda, has a month to work with the team before the competition continues.
The possibility of Pellegrino’s resignation was completely rejected and although his statements on Sunday caused discomfort, the words he had to explain to the sports manager, Manuel Mayo, the meeting with his players calmed down a little internally that anger. The reason? One of the main criticisms directed at the strategist is his coldness in working with the CDA, because he does not just give instructions and is not interested in the personal future of the players.
For the same reason, the fact that he strongly expressed his voice and did not reject hitting the table with new changes in formation, will allow him to work with a margin this week and reach the duel on Monday (7 pm) with the hope of emerging floating and staying until December.
