The words of Arturo Vidal, the Chilean star who after a long European tour returned to Europe, were a great recognition.
“
We are facing the best team in Argentina
,” said the Colo Colo midfielder after the first leg in Mendoza.
Jorge Almirón used the same tenor to describe the reality of Godoy Cruz a few hours before the rematch.
He knows the ropes because a decade ago he directed the Tombino group.
It is not false modesty that surrounds Alejandro Chapini.
“I think it is too much praise
,” says the president of this institution that will turn 103 years old on June 1.
There is no room for exaggeration.
Today, at the foot of the Cordillera and in the League Cup standings, the club that was born in the lounge of the “Victoria” bar in 1921 rules.
The Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba Sports Club is the team that added the most points (19), scored 10 goals and did not score in 7 games.
The only goal that Franco Petroli, a 25-year-old goalkeeper from River and with a great background in Estudiantes de Río Cuarto that warranted the purchase of 50% of his pass, regretted was precisely against Colo Colo, for the Copa Libertadores.
Together with Roberto Ramírez, who saved last weekend against Instituto,
he has had an undefeated record for 630 minutes.
How is the Godoy Cruz phenomenon explained?
There is a kidney technician, Daniel Oldrá, who has a commitment that goes far beyond work.
El
Gato
– Nickname he earned because of the shape of his eyes – was one of the
Heroes del Barro
, that historic team that achieved promotion to the old B Nacional in 1994.
“For years they have told us that we do not wait for the technicians' processes.
However, we have opted for coaches who today succeed in important clubs,” says Chapini in conversation with
Clarín
.
And he adds: “Oldrá was the architect of the promotion in 2008, when
Checho
Batista was called to lead the National Team.
We quickly returned to First.
From that moment on, every time we needed him, he was at the forefront.
On this occasion he managed to put together an important, monolithic technical body, with people who were transcendent for our institution.”
The 56-year-old strategist is accompanied by Marcelo Marucci, a friend and partner in that feat three decades ago;
Nicolás Olmedo, Nelson Ibáñez and Guillermo Franco, who achieved promotion in 2008 to never go down a category again;
and two in-house physical trainers, Carlos Jofre and Matías Garro.
The goalkeeper coach is José Luis Montero, who arrived at the institution more than 10 years ago.
“We arrive together and we leave together,” Oldrá said.
They have been in the process for eleven months.
Oldrá, the father of the creature.
“After having a couple of very difficult years from a sporting perspective.
We understood that we had to look for players who wanted to transcend.
And some with experience who knew how to put together united human groups.
Added to the great work of the lower divisions,” says Chapini.
Hernán López Muñoz, Diego Maradona's nephew, is one of the great cards.
Of the 47 players that make up the squad, 15 come from the youth teams.
Godoy Cruz transferred between 35 and 40 players to big clubs.
From Leandro Caruso, who moved to Udinese in 2009, to Tadeo Allende, whose player was recently acquired by Celta de Vigo.
Rodrigo Rey (today goalkeeper for Independiente), Juan Brunetta, Gonzalo Abrego, Ezequiel Bullaude (currently in Boca) and Martín Ojeda, among others, went directly to Europe and the MLS.
In 2001, coincidentally with the national crisis,
Godoy Cruz was about to disappear.
Chapini and José Mansur took charge.
There was a transition with a manager until the elections could be held.
The two leaders alternated the presidency.
Today, they have a 22-hectare property and 14 fields;
a school with 500 students and a lot of money is being invested in its stadium, the Feliciano Gambarte, with the idea of playing at home again.
They are already close to 15 thousand members.
"The secret of this team is that I have a squad that gives life in every game. The human group is fundamental," reflects Oldrá, whom the Deliberative Council of Godoy Cruz (city of the same name) honored with a green space that bears his name. meters from the stadium.
And there are already those who think about a statue if he wins, of course.