By Mateo Ledesma — Revista Fútbol Federal
When Huracán appointed Gabriel Batistuta, the country held its breath. A legend on the pitch, yes, but untested in management. Six months later, I sat down with him for an unfiltered conversation. No softballs. No polite applause. Just truth, pressure, football, and Huracán.
What follows is the full transcript.
Q: Gabriel, six months in, be honest. Has this job been harder than you expected?
Batistuta:
Harder? Sí.
But not in the way people think. The pressure doesn’t scare me, I lived with it my whole career. What’s difficult is building an identity with limitations everywhere. A transfer embargo, a squad that wasn’t built for my football and a club that desperately wants success now. I walked in knowing it would be tough. I didn’t realise it would test every part of me. But I wouldn’t change it. Suffering is part of building something real.
Q: Let’s talk identity. You’ve been criticised — including by me — for refusing to become more defensive, even when the team was leaking goals. Why stay so stubborn?
Batistuta:
Because identity cannot change every Monday.
We attack. We press. We commit bodies forward. That’s who we are.
When we concede, people say, “Batistuta must change.”
When we score four against the league leaders Aldosivi, people say, “Ah, maybe he’s onto something.”
If I betray the system every time there’s pain, then the identity never exists. And Huracán has suffered from that for years, no continuity, no long-term plan. I’d rather fail with conviction than win by abandoning my principles. And I believe the full reward will come.
Q: One of the major talking points has been the emergence of Chiquichano. A 17-year-old who wasn’t meant to be first choice. What happened?
Batistuta:
Fate happened.
When I arrived, I thought Aaron Silva would rise first he had scored nine goals in eight reserve matches. His promotion was meant to be the story. But injury stole that from him. Suddenly the opportunity fell to Chiquichano.
And he didn’t hesitate.
He attacked every loose ball, every defender, every moment.
He played like he was starving.
A coach sees that once or twice in a career, a kid who doesn’t ask for permission to shine. He made the No. 9 shirt his, not because I gifted it, but because he fought for it. And now… after scoring, after signing his new deal, he’s the heartbeat of our attack.
But you know what I admire most?
He listens.
He learns.
He works.
That’s why he’ll go far.
Q: Still, he looked exhausted in the playoff match against Tucumán. Many players did. Did you push the squad too hard?
Batistuta:
Maybe.
I’ll admit that.
The Sudamericana, the opening stage, the travel, the intensity, it stretched us. And when you combine that with a squad that can’t be reinforced due to the embargo, you start to see cracks. Against Tucumán, I watched my players fade minute by minute. It was painful.
The goal in the 86th minute, that hurt.
It felt like someone unplugged the power from our season.
But if I have to choose between a team dying on their feet or walking… I’ll choose the ones who die fighting. And my players did.
Q: Speaking of the Sudamericana, your group stage was a rollercoaster. What did you learn?
Batistuta:
That this group has character. And flaws. But character first.
The draws against Vasco showed we can fight with giants.
The loss to El Nacional, that was shameful. I won’t sugarcoat it. At half-time I was furious. Making four changes wasn’t tactical, it was emotional. But they responded. They fought back. Silva scored his first.
And against Palestino?
That was the night I realised the project is alive.
We took a risk playing Tissera, a kid hidden in the reserves all season. And he gave me a hat-trick and a performance that shook the stadium. Guidara too, people forget to praise him, but he was magnificent.
It reminded me why I believe in giving players chances.
The squad may be limited, but the heart isn’t.
Q: Ramón Ábila — Wanchope — requested a transfer. How did that conversation really go?
Batistuta:
It was simple and sad.
He told me he wasn’t first choice and didn’t want to sit on the bench. He was honest. I respect that. But I need players who want to compete, not leave.
So I accepted it.
Football moves quickly. You can’t hold on to players who are looking away from the club. I wish him well, sincerely.
Q: Let’s talk about your youth philosophy. You’ve promoted more academy players in six months than some managers do in three years. Why?
Batistuta:
Because they listen.
Because they fight.
Because they grow.
Look at Mariano Riegel — when Jorge came into my office saying his character was improving, that his dribbling, anticipation and work ethic were rising… that’s why he’s here.
Look at Lescano, at Babino, at Tissera, at Silva.
When Bisanz got injured, I could have asked for senior reinforcements but what reinforcement? We’re embargoed. So I looked down the hallway. Into the youth dressing room and I saw hungry faces.
Trust builds trust.
Q: How has the transfer embargo actually affected you?
Batistuta:
It forces you to look in the mirror every morning.
I can’t hide behind excuses. I can’t say, “I need five new players.”
I only have the men I have. And I have to improve them.
It makes every decision heavier. Every injury more painful. Every mistake more costly. But in a strange way… it’s shaping us.
It’s making us a club that must value development, not purchases.
Unity, not shortcuts.
Identity, not patches.
Would I like reinforcements? Of course. But maybe this suffering is necessary.
Q: Big picture — what do you feel after these six months? Success? Frustration? Pride? Disappointment?
Batistuta:
Everything. All at once.
We finished top in the opening stage — success.
We crashed out of the playoffs — disappointment.
We qualified for the Sudamericana knockouts — pride.
We saw kids rise when the club needed them — joy.
We endured injuries, collapses, fatigue — frustration.
But if I look at it as a whole?
I feel clarity.
This club is evolving.
This squad is learning.
And I, even as a novice manager, am growing through suffering, pressure, and belief.
The chairman told me he’s delighted. I appreciate it. But I don’t coach for praise.
I coach because I want to build something that lasts.
Something that outlives me.
A dynasty, not a moment.
And this, these first six months are the foundation.
Q: Final question. What message do you give Huracán fans right now, today?
Batistuta:
Stay with us.
We’re not perfect. We will lose games. We will suffer.
But we are building something real — with kids from our academy, with a style that excites, with courage, with conviction.
This club deserves more than temporary fixes.
It deserves a future.
If you walk with us now, through the difficult part, the reward later will taste much sweeter.
And trust me…
We have only just begun.
The Gaffers Lounge 
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