Fernando Ferrara, new coach of the women’s field hockey team, Las Leonas, replacing Carlos Retegui, admitted that he “likes to develop offensive and aggressive teams that dominate the rival”, set as his goal “to qualify for the World Cup and solidify the game” in the next Pan American Cup and affirmed that for Luciana Aymar “the doors will always be open”.
“I like to develop offensive and aggressive teams that have dominance over the rival and if dominance is not achieved, control of the match is achieved,” Ferrara said in statements to Télam before traveling to Santiago de Chile, where Las Leonas will participate, from next week, in the Pan American Cup that will provide three places for the World Cup in Spain-Netherlands next July.
The 53-year-old coach from Buenos Aires will seek in Chile “to qualify for the World Cup and begin to solidify the game” of a team that last year won the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
As a player, Ferrara played for the Ciudad de Buenos Aires club; He won two medals at the Pan American Games (silver in Indianapolis 1987) and gold in Havana 1991) and competed in the Olympic Games in Seoul 1988 (eighth place), Barcelona 1992 (eleventh) and Atlanta 1996 (ninth).
As a coach, he directed Lomas and Ciudad (men and women) and then the Italian team (2006-2015) and the Under 21 team -Las Leoncitas- between 2019-2021. He was also a technical assistant to Marcelo Garraffo in 2013 and later to “Chapa” Retegui in the women’s team.
The coach will be accompanied by former lioness Alejandra Gulla as technical assistant, as well as Santiago Capurro and Mario Almada. The physical preparation will be in charge of Diego Ferrari while Gonzalo Romero will be the video analyst.
Las Leonas will debut next Wednesday against Uruguay in Group A of the Pan American Cup, which will be played between January 19 and 30 in Santiago.
The Argentine team – world champion in Perth (Australia) 2002 and Rosario 2010 – won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, as well as in Sydney 2000 and London 2012, and also won bronze medals at the Athens 2004 Games. and Beijing 2008.
-Télam: What will you look for in the Pan American Cup?
– Fernando Ferrara: Qualify for the World Cup and begin to solidify our game.
-T: How do you define the current team that will not have several Tokyo medalists?
-FF: As a younger team but equally expert since 80% of it is the same team that won the silver medal in Tokyo and has been playing and working together for years.
-T: You have a long career in hockey, what does it mean to lead Las Leonas?
-FF: After so many years in hockey as a player and coach, this is a very stimulating challenge for me that I enjoy every day. I am very committed.
-T: What challenge did you set for this year’s World Cup?
-FF: First qualify, then think and play game by game, be protagonists and go as far as possible.
-T: What will be your game proposal? What Lionesses will you see?
-FF: I like to develop offensive and aggressive teams that have dominance over the rival and if dominance is not achieved, control of the game can be achieved. Base myself on a dynamic game system that enhances individualities, where oriented possession prevails, always with the idea of attacking the space at speed. Also develop in detail from our defensive system the game after recoveries.
-T: In your technical team will be Alejandra Gulla, 2010 world champion striker, double Olympic medalist -bronze in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008- and multiple Pan-American champion and historic scorer for Las Leonas (150 goals in 247 games). Why did you make that decision?
-FF: Because I worked with Ale in Lomas from 2019 to 2022 and I found in her a splendid person with a positive vibe and I am sure she can contribute a lot to this team in different aspects.
-T: The Netherlands, the last Olympic and world champion, is currently the best team. Is Argentina far from your level?
-FF: Yes, currently it is the best team but Argentina is not far from that level. We have to improve some conceptual details and continue to improve the penalty corner. We are already working on several aspects.
-T: Is it easy to replace Retegui, the most successful coach in the history of Argentine hockey?
-FF: I don’t really think that I am replacing Retegui, whose achievements are well known. I look ahead and go on my way.
-T: Precisely Retegui, in an interview with Télam in August of last year, described as “superlative sum” the eventual incorporation of Aymar in some field of hockey. Will you do anything in this regard?
-FF: “Lucha” is an eminence of national and world hockey. From the side that she wants to contribute, she will always be welcome for what it means for this sport and for what it transmits. The truth was I was not aware of these statements by Retegui but as he said, she has to feel comfortable. The doors of Argentine hockey will always be open for her.
