A former Russo assistant commented on his health: 'I see him emaciated, I see him tired.'

The return of Miguel Ángel Russo to Boca as coach for the third time in his career brought not only sporting expectations, but also rumors about his health. The coach went through a serious illness in the past, from which he managed to recover, although with aftereffects. In the midst of this context, an authoritative voice broke the silence: Hugo Gottardi, his longtime assistant coach. Gottardi accompanied Russo for 29 years, from 1990 at Lanús to 2019 at Alianza Lima, just before the coach began his second spell at Xeneize. In an exclusive interview with Boca de Selección, the former collaborator spoke about the present of the man who was his colleague in almost three decades of joint work.

"I see him gaunt, I see him tired," he said bluntly. Then, to justify his view, he added: "Yes, Miguel is fighting on many fronts…" Delving deeper into his analysis, Gottardi elaborated: "I see him tired, yesterday I was watching him sitting… and, you know. Carrying Boca on your shoulders is like carrying a truck. It's tough. He comes from an illness and he's… fine. For me, he's fine." His pauses while speaking showed the concern about the strain that the coach's current situation is causing him. In recent days, an image of Russo during the match against Aldosivi sparked controversy: he seemed to have fallen asleep on the bench. However, Gottardi denied the story: "I was with my son and I said, look, maybe he blinked. Maybe he blinked and they took the photo with his eyes closed. I said, who's going to fall asleep? Miguel? Forget it."

This way, he made his position clear: Russo is exhausted, which is logical after what he has experienced in terms of health and because of the demands of coaching Boca, but not to the point that his commitment is in doubt.