Gabriel Milito: Lord of the Clásico

Gabriel Milito’s flawless run in clásicos since taking charge of Chivas remains intact. The Argentine coach has now overseen four rivalry games – two against América and two against Atlas – and won them all. On Saturday night his team produced a comeback against Atlas, securing a 2–1 win at Estadio Jalisco, and afterward Milito admitted that victories in games like these carry special meaning.

“The win means a lot because it’s a clásico, and even more because we came from behind in a clásico. That strengthens the players’ confidence and morale,” the coach said. He stressed the importance of patience when chasing the game. “You have to trust your attacking play. When you’re losing, many times you rush things, attack too early and open yourself up to counterattacks that can cost you the game. The players showed patience and movement in the first half to try to disorganize the opponent, and they did it very well.”

Milito also addressed the moment surrounding Chivas’ second penalty. Armando González initially stepped up to take the kick, but after a brief discussion with Ángel Sepúlveda, the veteran forward took responsibility and beat goalkeeper Camilo Vargas to score the winner. The coach revealed that the decision ultimately belonged to the players, although his initial intention had been to restore González’s confidence after he had already missed a penalty earlier.

A united squad

“With the penalty situation, yes, there was a moment when I wanted to give ‘Hormiga’ the confidence to take it again,” Milito explained. “After that, he spoke with Sepúlveda, who is also a specialist in those situations, and the responsibility went to him. The coach has to give confidence to the penalty takers, but there are situations that belong to the players. You can’t ask a player to take it if a teammate feels more confident. We have the flexibility to change the taker. Hormiga showed great team spirit – he wasn’t selfish and decided what felt right at that moment.”

Reflecting on the overall performance, the Chivas manager described a demanding contest that unfolded as expected. “It was a tough, difficult game, and we knew it would be,” he said. “Even after conceding, the team showed clear ideas from the start. We were superior in the first half and had clear chances to equalize. The team played with courage and intelligence, and everyone contributed defensively. They played the way we want to play, and this group is capable of doing that throughout the tournament. Over the course of the match the victory was deserved and fair, but it had to be earned.”

Milito also discussed the absence of Daniel Aguirre for the next game after the defender accumulated five yellow cards in the tournament. “We’ll have to address Aguirre’s absence for the next game,” he said. “But we have a very balanced squad and everyone is ready to play. Sometimes you only see that on the field. We’ll think about the alternatives just as we’ve done with Luis, Tiba and Miguel Gómez. Micky Tapias can play, the squad has options so the team’s level doesn’t drop. Efra can return or Brian Gutiérrez can play. I’m happy with the squad and the mentality of the group. The team is strong and united, and whoever plays has my full confidence.”

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