The coach of Argentine soccer club Boca Juniors, Miguel Angel Russo, has died at the age of 69, the Argentine Football Association announced Wednesday.
Russo’s health had deteriorated in recent weeks.
The last Boca Juniors game he attended was on Sept. 21, when his team drew 2-2 with Central Cordoba in a league match at Boca’s home ground.
Boca Juniors never gave details of his health, but Argentine media reported that the coach, diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017, had contracted a urinary tract infection.
Boca Juniors, in a statement, expressed “profound sadness” at Russo’s death.
“Miguel leaves an indelible mark on our club and will always be an example of joy, warmth, and dedication,” it said.
In his absence, his assistant Claudio Ubeda had been managing the club.
A man of few words, Russo was a coach for more than half his life and was talked up at one point as a potential manager for the national side after significant stints with Boca Juniors, Rosario Central and Estudiantes de la Plata.
He spent his own playing career entirely at Estudiantes, from 1975 to 1988, forming part of one of the most memorable midfields in Argentine soccer, along with Alejandro Sabella, Marcelo Trobbiani, and Jose Daniel “Bocha” Ponce.
He made the national team but wasn’t selected for the 1986 World Cup in which Diego Maradona famously captained Argentina to victory.
Years later, Russo admitted he was angry at being sidelined but said iconic coach Carlos Bilardo explained: “‘The day you become a coach, you’ll understand, like never before.’ And later, I understood.”
Russo’s trophy cabinet was not extensive, but he had a knack for reviving the fortunes of top teams.
His first first-division title came with Velez Sarsfield in 2005. Later, at Maradona’s request, he was called on to manage Boca Juniors, which he led to victory in the 2007 Copa Libertadores, his greatest achievement as a manager.
He sealed an eternal love affair with Rosario Central, which he twice saved from relegation, by winning the League Cup in December 2023.
In 2017, he led Colombian side Millonarios to a championship title just one day after undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, earning himself undying affection in Bogota.
In June, he agreed to coach Boca Juniors for a third time, four years after being sacked by the giants just six games into a new season.
