Laying the Foundations of a New Huracán

When I agreed to take charge of Huracán, I knew I wasn’t coming here to plaster over cracks or simply chase short-term results. I came to build something lasting, something worthy of Menotti’s ideals and worthy of a club with our history. But ideas, no matter how beautiful, need time, clarity and absolute conviction. That is why I took the squad to Colombia for our preseason camp. Away from Buenos Aires, away from noise, away from comfort. We needed a place to strip football back to its essence.

Fitness, Positioning, and Principles

The first days were brutal, purposefully so. Not just physically, but mentally. Menotti’s football is expressive and brave, but it is rooted in discipline, positional clarity, intelligence and the courage to take responsibility on the ball. We worked the players relentlessly, pushing them through double sessions that focused on movement, spacing and the rhythm of play.

Some understood quickly. Others struggled. But the idea began to take shape.

Real Cundinamarca F.C – Seeing the First Sparks

Our first friendly, against Real Cundinamarca, ended 1–1, but the score is a poor summary. We conceded early, one lapse, one slow reaction, but after that, we dominated every inch of the field. More possession, more passes, more shots. Eric Ramírez brought us level and we pushed for the winner with the kind of attacking patterns I want to be our signature.

We weren’t sharp enough in the final action, but for the first time, I saw the sparks of Menotti in our movements, the wide overloads, the inside lanes opening, the midfield triangles forming naturally. A good beginning.

Patriotas Boyacá – Doubt Creeps In

Against Patriotas, a second-division side, we controlled the entire match yet somehow lost 1–0. Again, dominance without incision. Again, possession without punch. Football can be cruel in its symmetry.

This is when I sensed doubt beginning to flicker in some players. They had worked hard, absorbed the ideas, done everything I asked and still the result went against them. I saw the questions in their eyes, the hesitation in their touches. Early adversity reveals the truth in a squad.

Boyacá Chicó – When the Scoreline Lies

The 4–1 loss to Boyacá Chicó looked disastrous on paper. But it wasn’t a collapse, it was a lesson. They punished our mistakes with the efficiency of a top-flight side. We meanwhile, played well between the boxes but struggled inside them. This is the cost of transition: the brain understands the idea before the body fully executes it.

Still, I admitted openly to the group afterward: dominance means nothing without conviction in the penalty area.

La Equidad – A Statement, Even in Defeat

For the final match, I made changes, not out of anger, but clarity. Some players have the raw qualities to thrive in this system, but qualities mean nothing without belief. Others, less gifted, have embraced the ideology with hunger, enthusiasm and honesty.

Seven new starters. A message sent.

We lost 1–0, but this felt different. The team fought with spirit and intelligence. We controlled the game, we moved as a collective, we defended bravely, and we attacked with the shape and purpose I’ve been demanding since day one.

The finishing still wasn’t there, but the mentality? That was the best it has been.

Looking Forward – Certainty in the Project

Preseason results never define a team. The work behind them does. And what I’ve seen these past weeks convinces me more than ever that this project will succeed. We have planted the seeds of a footballing identity not a short-term fix, not a tactical fad, but a philosophy with roots.

I now know who I can trust.
Who believes.
Who hesitates.
And who is ready to give themselves completely to the idea.

Menotti once said: “Playing well is not a complement to winning it is the path to winning.”

This preseason, we chose the path.
And soon, we will reap the rewards.