Who is Martín Anselmi, set to be confirmed as new head coach of Cruz Azul?

Cruz Azul appear to have moved quickly as they look to put their disastrous Liga MX Apertura 2023 tournament behind them. Incoming sporting director Iván Alonso has wasted little time in making an impact his new club, who are set to appoint Martín Anselmi as their new head coach.

According to journalist Adriàn Esparza Oteo of TUDN, Argentine Anselmi has been hand-picked by Alonso to replace “firefighter” Joaquín Moreno, who himself only took over from Ricardo Ferretti in August after the veteran coach was sacked.

Anselmi never played professional soccer

Anselmi may not be an especially familiar figure to fans of Mexican soccer, with the 38-year-old having no professional playing career to speak of. After doing a journalism degree in Buenos Aires, the Rosario native became a youth coach in his homeland in 2015 but subsequently took roles as assistant and reserve-team coach, which included a spell on former Barcelona defender Gabriel Milito’s staff at Independiente.

He then had stints in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Chile, where he started his career as a number one at Unión La Calera in December 2021. After only 15 games in charge, he returned to Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle, where he had previously worked as an assistant, and has had an impressive amount of success.

What did Anselmi win with Independiente del Valle?

Since rejoining the club in May 2022, Anselmi has won the Copa Sudamericana and Copa Ecuador in 2022, followed by the Recopa Sudamericana and Supercopa Ecuador in 2023. Moisés Caicedo, who Chelsea signed from Brighton for over $100 million in the summer, and 16-year-old wonderkid Kendry Páez, who will also join the Blues in 2025, have come through the Independiente del Valle youth academy in recent years.

After four trophies in two seasons in Ecuador, can Anselmi bring a winning mentality with him to Cruz Azul?