In the most rugged part of the Basque coast, in the jungle valleys of Urumea, Bidasoa, Oria and Urola, a group of coaches has emerged that is shaking up European football. Imanol Alguacil, head of an epoch-making Royal Society; Xabi Alonso, leader of the Bundesliga with Leverkusen; Andoni Iraola, who this Saturday dismantled United with Bournemouth at Old Trafford (0-3); Unai Emery, coach of Aston Villa, revelation of the Premier, and Mikel Arteta, until this day first classified with Arsenal and since yesterday dropped to second place in Villa Park to the glory of his countryman. Led by Emery, Villa won 1-0, achieving their 15th consecutive victory at their stadium – a record for the Birmingham club – and placed third, two points behind Liverpool, the new leader.
1
Emiliano Martínez, Diego Carlos, Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Matthew Cash, min. 66), Pau Torres, Digne (Álex Moreno, min. 77), McGinn, Leon Bailey (Moussa Diaby, min. 45), Boubacar Kamara (Leander Dendoncker, min. 66), Douglas Luiz, Tielemans (Jacob Ramsey, min. 56) and Ollie Watkins
0
David Raya, William Saliba, Ben White, Zinchenko (Reiss Nelson, min. 93), Gabriel, Odegaard, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus (Eddie Nketiah, min. 81), Bukayo Saka and Martinelli (Trossard, min. 69 )
Goals 1-0 min. 6: McGinn.
Referee Jarred Gillett
Yellow cards Zinchenko (min. 28), Digne (min. 52), Douglas Luiz (min. 62), McGinn (min. 72), Declan Rice (min. 77) and Diego Carlos (min. 87)
“I had never achieved a 15-fight winning streak in my career,” Emery said after the game; “and it will be very difficult for me to get it again.”
Neither in Bizkaia, nor in Álava, nor in Navarra. All five were born and educated within the confines of Gipuzkoa, to the fascination of analysts in search of esoteric coincidences. If there is a hidden pattern that explains the situation, in addition to the common geographical destiny, the answer should come from Tolosa maestro Juanma Lillo, one of the patriarchs of football in the region, Pep Guardiola's right-hand man on the City bench. But consulted, the oracle does not take long to issue his verdict: “Coincidence!”
Mikel Etxarri, the oldest professor at the Coaching School of the Guipuzcoan Federation and former sports director of the Royal Society, knows first-hand all the components of the saga. “If you take a point on the map and make a circle with a radius of 40 kilometers, you find the place where everyone grew up,” he says. “Julen Lopetegui was from Asteasu; Xabi from Tolosa; Unai from Fuenterrabía; Imanol de Orio; Iraola from Usurbil. The only one who was born in San Sebastián is Arteta.”
Cooperative spirit
“As coaches, they have nothing in common,” says Etxarri. “Each one formed himself. But as people they integrate a particular culture. Life in Gipuzkoa is non-stop. In immigration, in industry, where societies are formed. Here in Mondragón cooperativism took root. There is a foundation of solidarity, of camaraderie, of everyone having to work together for a common and economic good, which is a very important value of football. Here everything is done for money. Even in the pediment. It is effort and competition compensated with money. All this is integrated into the education of the Basques and also into football. It is survival. This culture that children absorb is the only explanation I see for the appearance of so many good coaches in Gipuzkoa.”
Coach of the Basque Country for 16 years, Etxarri does not hide his preferences. “The one I worked with the most in the field was Imanol,” he remembers. “Not even a drunk would have believed that Imanol was going to be a coach! He was a shy, introverted boy, he spoke very little, he was a good guy. And then you discover that as a coach he has character, vision, command… “
“I had Unai for three years when I coached Real B,” says Etxarri. “He was one of those I liked: argumentative. Immediately he answered you. Those are the footballers who, as a coach, make you grow because they make you doubt what you are telling them. Arteta was with us for a year at Real but we didn't have much of a relationship. He is more introverted. Unlike the others, he did not practically make a football life in Gipuzkoa.”
Emery surpassed Arteta this Saturday at Villa Park. From the outset, the oldest coach's plan was to pressure Arsenal's exit to isolate Odegaard. The Norwegian midfielder is, by far, the footballer with the greatest ability to guide his team's play under pressure. Between McGinn, Douglas and Kamara, Villa took care of surrounding him so that he did not receive comfortably in hot areas. The ball passed more through the feet of Rice, or Zinchenko, overwhelmed and without support. As Havertz did not offer to build but to distance himself – flee? – into space, Arsenal stumbled before reaching the final third of the field. Conditioned by its rival's tactics, the team that led the championship in recent weeks lost rhythm and touch because it never consistently occupied the places where its creativity emerges. McGinn's goal after a dizzying counterattack, in the 7th minute, resulted in the final 1-0.
Alonso: “I learned it at home”
The day consolidated Villa in third place in the standings – City follows them five points below and with a game less – and consolidated Emery's reputation as the author of the most striking adventure so far this season in England. After annulling City last Wednesday (1-0), Emery had the pleasure of interrupting Arsenal's streak, which had just won five games. The club that fired him in 2019 has signed players worth more than €800 million since then. In the same period, Villa has not exceeded 500 million in hiring. The templates reflect an inequality. The cunning of the Fuenterrabía coach saved the step.
Xabi Alonso, who visits Stuttgart today to defend the Bundesliga lead against Bayern – beaten 5-1 by Eintracht – has won 19 games and only drawn two this season. The Tolosarra attends from the continent the noise produced by his countrymen in the Premier. When Jorge Valdano asked him why there are so many Gipuzkoans on prominent benches, he made his guess thinking about his father Periko, who, like him, started out as a reference at Real and ended up as a coach. “It's a lot about character,” he said; “for looking at the collective and wanting to shoulder the responsibility of thinking about what is best. I learned it directly at home.”
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