Sébastián Battaglia, former coach of Boca Juniors, Almagro and Huracán, was announced on Monday as the new head coach of San Miguel, a club playing in the Primera Nacional. The deal, which binds him to the club until December 2025, marks the coach’s return to the bench following his recent stint at Huracán, where he managed the team between May and June 2023, recording four draws and five defeats in just nine matches.
During his presentation, Battaglia expressed his admiration for Carlos Bianchi, a key figure in his development as a player and coach. “Carlos was a great mentor for us. He instilled in us this winning mentality to go for victories. We don’t have a miracle recipe, that’s for sure, but we can certainly work hard and rely on various experiences,” the new coach said in an interview with ESPN.
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Battaglia outlined his ambitions for this new chapter in San Miguel: “We will strive to build a competitive squad in order to be protagonists on all grounds, firstly aiming for qualification for the Reducido, then other objectives that we have set ourselves. fixed.” Last season, under the management of Gustavo “Sapito” Coleoni, the club was one of the surprises of the Primera Nacional, qualifying for the Reducido but exiting in the first round against Deportivo Madryn.
The former player, who holds the record for Boca’s most successful player with 17 titles, has also tasted success as a coach, winning the Copa Argentina in 2021 and the Copa de la Liga in 2022. In this new phase, Battaglia will be joined by his former teammate Juan Krupoviesa, who will be his assistant coach.
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This challenge in San Miguel represents his second experience in Primera Nacional, a category where he began his coaching career at Almagro during the 2017/18 season. This team was in contention for promotion but failed to seize the opportunity on two occasions. Initially, they were top of the table in the last match, but a draw against Guillermo Brown deprived them of direct promotion, followed by a playoff defeat against Aldosivi. In the Reducido they were eliminated by Agropecuario of Carlos Casares, losing their chance of promotion, while San Martín de Tucumán achieved the coveted ascension.
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San Miguel had a tumultuous season under the leadership of Gustavo “Sapito” Coleoni. In May 2022, the club found themselves in a perilous situation, battling relegation to Primera B, but Coleoni managed to secure their status, and in 2023 he led the team to promotion to Primera Nacional. In 2024, under his leadership, San Miguel qualified for the Reducido, posting strong performances at home at Los Polvorines and boasting standout players like the talented Nahuel Luján and goalkeeper-captain Jorge Pucheta.
Arguably the most notable moment of Battaglia’s coaching career came at Boca Juniors, where he won two major titles. However, his tenure ended following the team’s elimination against Corinthians in the round of 16 of the 2022 Copa Libertadores. Criticism towards the Football Council and the resulting rift with the club’s management led to upon his departure.
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Now, with his arrival in San Miguel, Battaglia takes on a new challenge, aiming to restore the Trueno Verde to the forefront of Argentine football. The coach is determined to continue adding achievements to his career and lead his new team in the quest for promotion.
