Rodolfo Arruabarrena and a new challenge in the Gulf: leaving a mark in
Saudi Arabia football
The Argentine coach Rodolfo “Vasco” Arruabarrena is one of the most experienced Latin American coaches in the Arabian Gulf. He arrived in the Arab world in 2016 to coach in the United Arab Emirates, and after stints in Egypt and Qatar, he is now embarking on a new experience with Al-Taawoun FC in Saudi Arabia.
Arruabarrena’s coaching career, following his time as a left-back at Boca Juniors and Villarreal, began in the 2012/2013 season with Tigre (Argentina) and continued in 2013/2014 with Nacional (Uruguay). As the
coach of Boca Juniors in the 2014/2015 season, he won his first trophies, the Copa Argentina and the local league. After that, he began his adventure in the desert.
He joined Al-Wasl in Dubai in August 2016, where he managed the team for two years the yellow jersey team, which was once managed by none other than Diego Armando Maradona. After moving to Qatar, where in charge of Al Rayyan he won the Qatari SuperCup, his first title outside his native country, another significant challenge in the UAE with Shabab Al Ahli allowed him to win two more titles in the 2018/2019 season (League and President’s Cup). His recent experiences include coaching Pyramids in
Egypt and the United Arab Emirates national team, leading up to his arrival in 2024 in the country where football is developing the fastest in the Middle East. “El Vasco” speaks exclusively with Latin&Gulf: “I’ve
always wanted to experience the Saudi Pro League.”
— Back to the day-to-day as a coach. What attracted you to the
opportunity of managing Al-Taawoun and what are the objectives for this
first season?
– Al-Taawoun is a club that has been growing in recent years, with a
young president (Dr. Saud Al Rashoodi) who is eager to make history, a
good team that will compete in both local and international tournaments,
and also being part of a league that I have always wanted to experience
(Saudi Pro League). I have spent many years in the Middle East, and I
always learn something new, both in sports and culturally. I see this as
a new challenge.
– What is your assessment of the current squad?
– We want to be competitive in all the tournaments we participate in,
including the Asia Champions League 2, a new competition for which the
club has qualified, as well as in local cups and tournaments. On August
22, we will start the local league. It’s a semester with breaks due to
qualifiers, but in September, October, and November we’ll play many
matches, so it’s important to build the group well. Some players have
left, and the president is working on assembling the team. We’re calm
and confident in our work.
-The Saudi Pro League has been steadily developing over the last few
years in a country investing significant resources in its growth. Is it
the most competitive league in the Middle East?
-It is a very competitive league. Recently, renowned and experienced
players have arrived, but also young players from strong footballing
nations like Spain and Argentina. Physically, it’s a very strong league.
It attracts much more attention than other leagues in the Middle East,
but as time goes by and we play more matches, I’ll be able to see more
of the differences between this league and the others I’ve coached in
(UAE, Qatar, and Egypt).
-Which teams do you see as the main competitors for Al-Taawoun?
-Last year, the team finished fourth in an excellent campaign, but in
terms of budget, we are seventh or eighth. There are teams with private
companies behind them, and they are usually the ones making big-name
signings. Al-Hilal and Al Nassr are always competing at the top.
The youth academy is also important. We’ve brought in boys aged 17, 18,
and 19. There’s enthusiasm and good technique, but we need to work on
the physical aspect, which we are addressing with our fitness coach.
Throughout the year, we’ll bring up five boys to train with the first
team and get used to the pace of top-level football. The club is
committed to the academy, and we need to work on it, as well as doing
good scouting to bring in quality players.
-Do you have any Latin American players at Al-Taawoun? How are Latin
American players regarded in the Middle East?
-Currently, we have Brazilian players. There have been Argentinians like
Guanca and Kaku Romero. The players we have now are well-adapted, and we
want to repeat or improve on what they did last season. I’m happy with
them; in the club and in the league, Latin Americans are highly
regarded.
-How was your experience coaching the United Arab Emirates national
team, your last experience as a coach?
-It was my first time coaching a national team. I’m happy; we achieved
some of the objectives we set out, and when I met with the Federation, I
told them I was convinced that there was a generational change, and the
boys we gave the opportunity to are now regularly called up by the new
coach. UAE needs to have a project focused on the physical level of the
players; that’s what they need to work on. Technically, they are good,
but the focus should be on the physical aspect. And they should continue
working on naturalizing players for key positions that are needed.
-Did you have offers from Argentine football or other countries to
coach?
-I’ve had offers. I’ve said no to some, and in other cases, after
analyzing them, I believed they weren’t the best option. There were
offers from South America, Mexico, Greece, and Qatar. I like to take my
time to decide on the best project. Usually, it’s 2 or 3 months with the
family; in this case, it’s been a bit longer, but I’m happy to be back
to work.
-Speaking of national teams, did you watch Argentina’s title win in the
Copa America?
-Yes, I saw the national team playing very well. The first matches
weren’t as polished as in Qatar, but they managed the games and imposed
their rhythm on the other teams. They were deserved winners, with
outstanding individual performances. It’s a young team with experienced
players and also has depth. I’m happy about it, and you can see the
influence of coach Scaloni and his staff, who are working hard, and the
results are there to see: four titles in recent years is a very
important achievement.
-In Argentine football, there’s a discussion about implementing SAD
(Sociedades Anónimas Deportivas – Sports Corporations). What do you
think about that?
-I’m aware of the discussions on this topic in Argentine football. I’ve
played for Villarreal, which is a club run by an individual person. If
all clubs were run like Villarreal, I’d say: “Yes, do it right away.” In
Argentina, there are two sides to this. I understand that moving to SAD
might put an end to some of the shady dealings that exist, but such
situations can also happen in a corporation. To be clear, there are
corporations that are well managed and want the club to succeed. But
there are also others that have had poor results and are the complete
opposite. From what I’ve heard, it will depend on each club’s members in
Argentina. To improve Argentine football, I think it’s necessary, but it
would put an end to many shady dealings, and some people wouldn’t be
happy about that.
(C) latingulf.ae
