The 2023 Peruvian football season crowned the Universitario de Deportes as the new national champions. The team led by Jorge Fossati overachieved Sporty Cristal in the Clausura tournament and defeated in the final Lima AllianceThis ended a streak of nine consecutive years without a title. Now the Cream team is preparing to repeat the dish in its 100th anniversary year in 2024, but Rimense and Blue and White will seek revenge and spoil the party for which they have just announced radical changes.
Recently, both Alianza and Cristal welcomed their new coaches following the departures of Mauricio Larriera and Tiago Nunes. For the familiar, the Colombian Alejandro Restrepo will take over the diver, while in the light blue tent the responsibility lies with the Brazilian Enderson Moreira. Both will gain their first experience in Peruvian football and arrive with the aim of wresting his crown from the experienced Uruguayan strategist.
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Which clubs did Alejandro Restrepo manage and which titles did he win?
At 41, the young coffee coach can boast of having coached one of the biggest clubs in his country: Atlético Nacional. The coach, who started as a player-coach in 2004, had fleeting stints with the Purslane squad in 2019 and 2020 until he officially took the reins of the first team in 2021. That year he won the Colombia Cup, after which he moved on Deportivo Pereira in May 2022.
With the Mateca team, Restrepo became champions of the Finalización (Clausura) tournament and qualified for the Copa Libertadores 2023. In this competition, he made history by leading the modest club to the quarter-finals in its first participation. Despite his good progress, he separated from the institution a few days ago by not extending his contract.
- Colombia Cup: Atlético Nacional (2021)
- Completion of the tournament: Deportivo Pereira (2022).
Alejandro Restrepo signed with the intimate club for a year. Photo: Alianza Lima
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Which teams did Enderson Moreira coach and how many of them was he champion?
Compared to his Colombian counterpart, Moreira’s professional career is much broader, as he started as a coach in 2008 and managed more than 10 Brazilian football clubs (Ipatinga FC, Goiás, Gremio, Santos, Paranaense, Fluminense, América Mineiro, Bahia, Ceará, Cruzeiro, Fortaleza , Botafogo and Sport Recife).
Although he has extensive experience in the first division, he celebrated his greatest successes in the second division, where he won three times and was promoted to the Brasileirao each time. His record also includes three state championships with Goiás.
- Serie B of Brazil (3): Goiás (2012), América Mineiro (2017) and Botafogo (2021)
- Goiano Championship (3): Goiás (2012, 2013 and 2016).
Enderson Moreira will succeed his compatriot Tiago Nunes as standout DT. Photo: Sporting Cristal
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When it comes to the question of which of the two could be a tougher competitor for Fossati, both have points for and against. The Alianza Lima strategist knew how to go far with an unremarkable team, although his short experience could condition him. For his part, the Sporting Cristal coach enjoys the support of an important career, but getting used to a different football environment could make the culture shock even greater.
Speculation aside, we’ll have to wait until the start of the new season to see more clearly how much one or the other’s expertise can contribute to getting the best out of their team and dethroning Universitario as champions.