European coaches who won the Copa Libertadores

Although in theory it is the same, the way of playing and living soccer is totally different depending on the continent where it is played, especially when it comes to Europe and South America, two parts of the world in which soccer is one of the main sports . When it comes to coachs, few Europeans manage South American clubs and succeed. For this reason, we will review the DTs from the old continent who conquered the highest championship in the region: the Copa Libertadores.

Abel ferreira

The last to do it and on a fairly recent date. Ferreira is a 42-year-old Portuguese coach who was trained in the lower categories of Sporting Braga, the club where he made his debut as a coach in 2012, according to Transfermarkt.

Abel Ferreira would not be recognized for his titles, since he would not obtain any in Europe, but he was recognized for giving opportunities to young people in lower categories and improving their talent. Among the young figures we can mention is Francisco Trincão, now a FC Barcelona player . In November 2020, Ferreira turned his career upside down and arrived at Palmeiras in Brazil, which had poor results and was in the second round of a Copa Libertadores delayed by the pandemic.  Ferreira would do a “miracle”, he would reach the final of the tournament with good results and without needing an extension, not even in the final, where he would beat Santos with a goal in overtime to become the third European coach -second Portuguese- in conquering a Libertadores.

Jorge Jesus

Another Portuguese on the short list. At 66 years of age, Jorge Jesus currently coaches Benfica, but somehow managed to win a Copa Libertadores with Flamengo where he spent just over a year . Jorge began his career as a coach at Amora FC in Portugal in 1989, from there he built his experience in clubs in his country until he became a recognized local soccer coach with 13 titles, including 3 leagues, being the most winner coach in the history of Portuguese Soccer.

In June 2019, Jorge Jesus arrived at Flamengo in Brazil declaring that "what mainly convinced me was the greatness of Flamengo. The four most famous clubs around the world are Flamengo, Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Real Madrid ." In Brazil, it would be known for his intensity in the form of play with fast passing and offensive style. Contrary to custom, Jorge did not give his players rest and continued with the demands in training. Likewise, he had a large and talented squad that It allowed him to take them to the limit according to the Chicago Tribune, for this reason that same season Jorge won the Brazilian league and lifted the Copa Libertadores – which Flamengo had not won 38 years ago – after beating River Plate 2 – 1.

Despite the fact that the following year Jorge Jesús won the Recopa Sudamericana, the Brazilian Super Cup and the Carioca Championship, the Portuguese would resign in July 2020 to return to Benfica.

Mirko jozic

Much of Jozic's career took place in clubs in Chile, Mexico and even Argentina. But the Croatian began as a professional coach in his native country with Junak Sinj in 1970 and later would lead the lower categories of the Yugoslavia team where he won the Youth World Cup, which was curiously played in Chile during 1987, with the Balkan U-20 team. In 1988 he would return to Chile, this time to take over the Colo Colo quarry. Two years later, Jozic would be tasked with coaching the Cacique's first team at only 36 years old, where, according to a statement he recently made for TNT Sports, he had the "best years of his life."

Also read: The 10 soccer players who won the Champions and Libertadores

The passage of the Croatian through the Chilean team was important to the point of being known as “ the Colo Colo revolution ”, because, although it was being led by a coach who only had experience with youth, Jozic knew very well how to improve the potential of young people , which he did in his two years in the team's quarry. Despite his little command of Spanish, Jozic immediately modified the game design for his debut against the U. Católica and applied an offensive style, thus he managed to win 1 to 0 and that same year he would be champion of the league.

1991 would be the year in which a European coach would win the Copa Libertadores for the first time in history, when Colo Colo beat Olimpia of Paraguay 3-0 in the second leg after a 0-0 in the first game. The Croatian Jozic would stay in South American and Colo Colo history, by obtaining the first and only Libertadores of the club and Chile.