We'll miss you, Miguel

Argentine football went into mourning on Wednesday night with the loss of one of its biggest characters. Miguel Ángel Russo passed away at the age of 69 after a long battle with illness, one which he never let interrupt his storied career as a coach. He continued working until almost his final day at the helm of Boca Juniors, whom he rejoined prior to the Club World Cup for a third spell in charge.

It is a cliché, sure, but true in this case: Russo was a personality who transcended club allegiances. He was particularly associated with Boca and with Rosario Central, whom he led from the bench on five separate occasions, as well as Estudiantes de la Plata, his home for the entirety of his playing career. Russo lifted the Copa Libertadores in 2007 to mark his biggest success as a coach and won a total of 10 different titles over his long journey in professional football management, which spanned 36 years and eight different countries.

Even towards the end of his career, approaching his seventies, Russo maintained the ability to bond with his younger charges, particularly those just breaking through who came under his wing. The coach was known for his willingness to pack teams with promising kids and let them prove themselves, with the likes of Ever Banega, Leandro Paredes, Marco Ruben, Javier Pinola and more recently Valentín Barco all getting their start thanks to the veteran.

Charismatic, easy-going and more often than not spotted on the touchline with a smile on his face, the late coach was an old school symbol of Argentine football who was able to adapt enough to stay relevant almost three decades into the 21st century. He will be mourned by everyone connected to the game, even those clubs who have a sworn enmity to the institutions he was most closely bound to; a mark of the respect and admiration he commanded. Even in this heated battlefield, nobody had a bad word to say about a man whose joy and energy was infectious to those around him. 

You will be missed deeply, Don Miguel, one of the greats who carried on exercising the profession he loved right until the end.