Argentine technicians face serious health complications that have affected their work in their respective teams

Miguel Angel Russo, coach of Millonarios in Colombia, and Julio Cesar Falcioni, Banfield coach in Argentina, are currently battling health complications that threaten their lives. The two Argentine coaches have undergone medical procedures in order to overcome this situation to direct their teams normally.

Miguel Angel Russo, everything heals with love

The current technical champion of Colombia was notified last year that he was suffering from prostate cancer, which seriously affected his bladder. However, the Argentine kept silent. Only family members, managers, coaches, and players of Millonarios knew of the situation and honorably kept the secret. In the club, all of them continued working, they formed a family and became champions at the end of 2017.

"First of all I want to thank Millonarios, everyone at the club knew what happened to me and they respected me very much. Silence is good. I am very grateful to the directors, my players, people, with Carlos Castro, who was my oncologist and worked with people in Buenos Aires, Juan Ignacio Caicedo, and to oncologists in the Country Clinic, which gave me a lot of love. Everything is cured with love", said Russo in January 2018 when he informed the world about his situation.

Russo, who is 61 and is an idol in Estudiantes de La Plata, Rosario Central, and Millonarios, received messages of support from all these clubs and many others in Colombia and the world. His health had been improving significantly after the operation he conducted in Buenos Aires. "My condition is good, I have no problem. I feel good. My operation is in the past. I am coming out of this, they are making studies, we move IGNORE INTO normalcy and hope to leave soon because ultimately it is what one wants", said Russo to Colombian media.

Argentine coach had retaken control of Millonarios, who was champion of the Colombian Superliga 2018. The team dedicated the title to the technician in his absence. Unfortunately, the technician suffered another relapse on February 22, as a result, of a fever caused by a bacterium that yet could not be attacked. Russo hopes to emerge soon from this deterioration to go back to work again and make a good participation in Copa Libertadores.

Julio Cesar Falcioni, the party was complicated

As a player who became an idol of America of Cali in Colombia and Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield, he is currently suffering serious health problems and is in therapy. The nightmare for the current coach of Banfield began in December 2017, when Falcioni went to an operation that was low risk expected. However, when the procedure was being performed, it turned out to be complicated. The operation was to remove a nodule of the larynx, so it should have been fast, but the postoperative process was more complicated than thought and the operation lasted more than 12 hours.

Falcioni’s health, who is 61 years old, seriously deteriorated in December 2017 and January 2018. For this reason, today, the technician attends chemotherapy and radiation treatments. "I spent the worst scaring part in December, this operation was long and complicated and with many days of recovery. I am now first feeding me well because I spent 40 days without eating anything and taking precautions", said Falcioni greatly relieved.

The former Argentine goalkeeper returned to direct Banfield at the end of January, and at first he only did it when Banfield played at home. However, now he directs both local and visitor despite continuing with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The therapies to which Falcioni submits are extremely strong. However, his sense of humor is still intact: "I went up (to heaven) and they sent me back, they said they did not need a technician or anyone who is a goalkeeper, so they sent me again. I had a hard time, I spent eight days in intensive care. I'm doing the breathing exercises to do the treatment and keep mocking a little bit more", said Falcioni, who will continue to fight tirelessly to end this complicated chapter of his life.

Two Argentines who know how to delight South American football in their stage as players and who have managed to conquer several countries of the continent as technicians. Both have managed to maintain the fight against adversities as serious as health problems are. Russo and Falcioni, two eminences of Latin American soccer, have the support of the entire world to continue leading on the playing fields, because that is where they make people happy.

Latin American Post | Javier Aldana
Translated from “Fútbol: Russo y Falcioni luchan por su vida”