By: EFE Posted May 25, 2023, 17:49 pm EDT
the uruguayan Robert Dante Siboldi, Tigres UANL coach, who as goalkeeper for the cats experienced relegation to the second division in the 1995-1996 season, is one step away from leading his team to the title of the Closing 2023 of the Mexican soccer league.
Siboldi’s story with felines is forged at the poles of suffering and glory.
During his time as a player, he arrived at Tigres for the 1995-96 season, the most disastrous in memory for the team from the north of the country that culminated in relegation.
“It was like carrying a giant bear for what was coming our way. It was a great pressure, we did not want to disappoint anyone; that paralyzed us. In the end it didn’t reach us and we ended up relegating”, Siboldi recalled that bad campaign in an interview in July last year.
Although the usual thing, after falling to the second division, would have been to emigrate to a first-class team, the man born in Montevideo earned the admiration of the feline fans with his decision to remain in the team, something that inspired several of his teammates. back then.
The determination turned out. Tigres returned to the first division the following year and the Uruguayan defended the team’s goal until 1999.
Almost three decades after the descent, Siboldi Badiola returned to Tigres to close a Clausura 2023 that seemed destined for the abyss.
At the beginning of the tournament the cats lost the Argentine Diego Cocca, who left to lead the Mexican team; Cocca was chosen to lead the new era, after the Brazilian Ricardo Ferretti made Tigres the most winning team in Mexico since 2010 with five league titles obtained.
The directive handed over the helm to the Mexican Marco Antonio Ruiz, who, due to the poor results, was fired on matchday 14.
Siboldi he received the mission to rebuild the path in three dates, and although he said he was not a magician, they closed the tournament with a draw and two wins that put Tigres into the playoffs in which they beat Puebla to qualify for the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals they beat Toluca and in the semifinal they threw out Monterrey, in the city derby.
In the 2023 Clausura final, the former goalkeeper will have the opportunity to settle that relegation affront. He is the only thing he thinks about, above his continuity in the bank.
“No, I’m not thinking about that, but about the final, having a great series and being champion. This team has had difficult moments and never gave up,” he said after beating Monterrey in the semifinal.
Homework starts this Thursday at the first leg in which Tigres will receive Guadalajara and will close next Sunday with the return at the Chivas stadiumwhere Siboldi wants to give his fans the eighth league title in the history of the cats.
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