Foreign coaches in South American football

In recent years, Argentine coaches have emerged in major South American tournaments, such as the Libertadores and Sudamericana. Of the 16 teams currently participating in these tournaments, nine are led by Argentine coaches.

The presence of Brazilian coaches is less significant, as there are only three teams led by Brazilians: Fluminense, Flamengo, and Cruzeiro. In addition to Argentina and Brazilians, Uruguay also has prominent representatives, with three teams led by coaches.

Why do Argentine coaches dominate South American football?

According to commentator Marcelo Raed, the difference between Argentine coaches lies in the quality and demand for coaching courses in Argentina. Raed, who has a B license course with the Argentine Football Coaches Association (ATFA), points out that qualification requirements in Argentina have existed since the 1990s, while in Brazil, the coaching academy only began in 2009.

Who are the main foreign coaches in continental tournaments?

• Atlético-MG: Gabriel Milito (Argentina)






• Colo Colo: Jorge Almiron (Argentina)






• River Plate: Marcelo Gallardo (Argentina)






• Sao Paulo: Luis Zubeldia (Argentina)






• Fortaleza: Juan Pablo Vojvoda (Argentina)






• Corinthians: Ramon Diaz (Argentina)






• Race: Gustavo Costas (Argentina)






• Freedom: Daniel Garnito (Argentina)






• Lanus: Ricardo Zielinski (Argentina)






• Peñarol: Diego Aguirre (Uruguay)






• Atletico – PR: Martin Farini (Uruguay)






• Independiente Medellin: Alfredo Arias (Uruguay)






• Botafogo: Artur Jorge (Portugal)

What is the impact of increasing the number of vacant seats in Brazilian clubs?

Brazil gained more power in continental competitions when CONMEBOL increased the number of places allocated to Brazilian teams in 2017. Since then, at least six places have been allocated through the Brazilian championship and one to the Copa do Brasil champion.

Fluminense, the current Libertadores champions, is an example of Brazilian dominance in South American competitions in recent years. In the last five editions of the Copa Libertadores, the Brazilian team has always won the trophy. In addition to Fluminense, Flamengo and Palmeiras have also recently won the tournament.

What are the recent results of Brazilian teams in continental competitions?

Since 2017, the number of Brazilian teams in the quarter-finals of both the Libertadores and Sudamericana has been large:

1. 2024: Nine Brazilians, five in the Libertadores and four in the Sol Americana






2. 2023: Eight Brazilians, three in Libertadores and five in Solamericana






3. 2022: Nine Brazilians, five in the Libertadores and four in the Sol Americana






4. 2021: Eight Brazilians – five in Libertadores and three in Sol Americana






5. 2020: Four Brazilians – three in Libertadores and one in Sol Americana






6. 2019: Seven Brazilians – four in Libertadores and three in Sol Americana






7. 2018: Six Brazilians – three in the Libertadores and three in the Sol Americana






8. 2017: Six Brazilians – three in the Libertadores and three in the Sol Americana

The increase in the number of vacant places has led to a greater presence of Brazilian clubs not only in the Libertadores, but also in the Sudamericana. Since 2021, the number of Brazilian clubs that have qualified for the quarter-finals has reached at least eight, highlighting the strength of Brazilian football in continental competitions.

Finally, despite the dominance of Argentine coaches on the bench in the main tournaments in South America, Brazilian clubs continue to play a decisive role in the competitions, and this has been reinforced by recent changes that have increased their chances of qualifying.