Entre Ríos’s Defensores de Pronunciamiento coach, Sergio Chitero, relies on his players to defeat River Plate in the 32nd. of the final of the Argentine Cup and warned that for that they will need “rebellion, heart and soul.”
In dialogue with Télam, Chitero said that next Wednesday’s meeting at the Banfield stadium will be “a great challenge” that will mark his debut as coach after his recent retirement as a footballer.
Assuming the withdrawal from professional activity during the coronavirus pandemic, Chitero had temporary jobs outside of football as a building manager and as a substitute for a school ordinance position.
Chitero, 37, began his career at Atlético Paraná as a forward with a stint at the Board of Trustees (2012-2014 and 2015), which included promotion to the first division in 2015, and Defensores de Pronunciamiento (2017-2018).
The young coach of Depro gave details of the team that plays for Federal A, which dreams of giving Entre Ríos an unforgettable victory against the club that occupies the first place in South America, according to Conmebol.
Télam: What makes you face Marcelo Gallardo’s River in your debut?
Chitero: It makes me happy and proud to face River. And that I start my career in front of the best coach of the last years of Argentine football is another tremendous pride. I know that (Hernán) Orcellet and his coaching staff should be here because they did a great job, but fate put me.
T: What chances does Depro have against River?
C: And this would be like putting a chip and hitting a full if we win. Anything can happen in football. Hopefully River will do the best, and they will do it because they are very professional. We are working in this short time to know how to hurt River. They will have the initiative and we will seek to hit them at some point. We will also have a standing ball. This is still a game. There are strategies, ways of facing a game and you work. But it is a game where there are other things that we do not handle. An early goal, a penalty, we can get up with the right foot and River with the left, and that is why this sport is so beautiful.
T: You retired in the middle of the pandemic, how did you get the chance to lead your first team?
C: After playing for Atlético Paraná, I had the chance to go to other clubs, but it didn’t suit me financially. I had to move the whole family and it wasn’t worth it. We settled in Paraná. I thought that many people I met in football could give me a hand, but it was not like that. I thought that those people who had you as a friend were going to open the way for you and it was not like that. When the pandemic starts, extraordinary people appear like my wife’s aunt, María Beatriz, who knew I was out of work and contacted a building manager and gave me the job. I also led an amateur soccer team and got a substitute for a position in school ordinance. With those two jobs I brought emotional tranquility to the family. In the ascent you are not saved, even if you have capitalized some things, but the money goes away. I always thought I was going to lead a team. When this possibility arose, I did not hesitate for a second. I know the club, the boys, the responsibility they have achieved in recent years. I said goodbye in the best way in the other jobs and made myself available to the leadership.
T: Do your players dedicate themselves exclusively to soccer?
C: I have some players who have more jobs. In general, we do the training sessions in the afternoon because in the morning 65% of the team has another job and we have to adjust all that. When I started something like this happened to me to bring more money home. They work in sawmills, in administrative positions, in the fields or with their own business.
T: For you, the players and the whole club, does this match mean more than just a match?
C: It doesn’t change me at all to face River. The big goal is set at Federal, but this is professionalism and we have to face the situation against the best team in America. Depro has a huge heart and footballers not only play for their dreams, but also for many people who have passed through the club. They will have to be empowered by the dream of an entire province. It is a challenge. For that they have to take rebellion, play with heart and soul because it is a possibility for them.
T: Do you think a lot with this duel?
C: Yes. I dream of winning, hugging my players and shouting to heaven for winning. You have to hold on to dreams. Here there is work and dreams must be accompanied with work and confidence. Hopefully my boys have a good game and next season I won’t have them because it means they did things well. (Télam)
