Boca Juniors Manager Russo Receives Heartfelt Farewell at Buenos Aires Stadium
On Thursday, supporters of Argentine football gathered in large numbers to honour Miguel Angel Russo, the late manager of Boca Juniors and a revered figure in the sport, during a moving tribute held at the Buenos Aires stadium.
Since the early morning on Thursday, lengthy queues of fans formed to walk past the coffin of the decorated coach within the sacred space of the club’s iconic Bombonera stadium chapel.
The ex-international player, who had managed Boca Juniors on three separate occasions and also enjoyed notable successes with Rosario Central and Estudiantes de la Plata, passed away on Wednesday at age 69.
Although the club did not disclose specifics regarding his condition, Argentine press indicated that Russo, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2017 and experienced a decline in health recently, had developed an infection.
Earlier in June, he had committed to managing Boca Juniors for a third spell but had been unable to attend matches from the sidelines starting September 21.
On Thursday, his coffin was covered with the flags of both Boca Juniors and Estudiantes, the club where he played throughout his entire career.
Miguel dedicated everything he had to Boca, as I have, stated 34-year-old Pasallo, whose right arm features a tattoo of the Boca emblem and the phrase from the cradle to the grave.
We will bid farewell in true Boca fashion with a celebration, remarked the street vendor, clad entirely in the team’s blue and yellow colours.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere within the stadium was more solemn than celebratory.
A banner displaying Russo’s image and the message Forever in our hearts was prominently displayed throughout the stadium.
Coaching for over half his life, Russo was once considered a strong candidate to lead the national team following his extended periods at Boca Juniors, Rosario Central and Estudiantes de la Plata.
Restored Our Glory
Though his collection of trophies was modest, he possessed a unique talent for rejuvenating leading clubs.
Luis Conrado, a 67-year-old bricklayer, travelled from Lanus, a town on Buenos Aires’s southern edge where Russo began his coaching journey, to pay homage.
At Lanus, he discovered us in the second division, saved us, and restored us to our former greatness. I am here to express my gratitude for that joy, Conrado expressed.
Russo claimed his initial top-flight championship with Velez Sarsfield during 2005.
Subsequently, at Diego Maradona’s request, he took charge of Maradona’s childhood club, Boca Juniors, guiding them to triumph in the 2007 Copa Libertadores, widely regarded as his crowning managerial achievement.
Additionally, he twice prevented Rosario Central from relegation, winning the League Cup with them in December 2023, and in 2017 led Colombian team Millonarios to a league title just one day after completing chemotherapy for his cancer.
During his time at Estudiantes from 1975 to 1988, he was a key member of one of Argentine football’s most legendary midfield units, alongside Alejandro Sabella, Marcelo Trobbiani and Jose Daniel Bocha Ponce.
He earned a place in the national squad but was notably omitted from the 1986 World Cup roster, a tournament Argentina ultimately won, much to his dismay.