Did a Brazilian coach go out to direct a Libertadores game wearing the Argentina shirt? Yes incredible. It happened this Thursday night. An unprecedented event that only Diego Maradona could have generated. And that only Renato Portaluppi could have carried out. It is that the Gremio technician did not care what they will say. He was carried away by his heart. And he wore the blue and white 10 in the first leg of the round of 16 against Guaraní.
Before the start of the game there was a minute of silence for Diego. And then, during the 90s, the tribute continued in the image of Gremio. What about Renato was surprising. For the original, for what is played and for all that it means to see a Brazilian football reference dressed in the most symbolic of Argentine shirts.
Born in Guaporé, a Brazilian municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, Renato reached the First Guild in 1982. And the following year he raised the Libertadores and the Intercontinental. That young forward scored both of Gremio’s goals against Germany’s Hamburg in the final in Japan.
If Renato -Portaluppi or Gaúcho- was already an idol of Gremio as a player, then he multiplied his mystique as a coach. In his third cycle at the Porto Alegre club -which started in 2016-, he won six local tournaments, the Libertadores 2017 (in the final against Lanús) and the Recopa Sudamericana 2018.
Renato, and 10 from Maradona (efe).
Renato played 41 games with the Brazilian team. And on his roadmap there is a more than special World Cup. He was part of the verdeamarela that was left out of the quarterfinals on penalties against France in Mexico 86. Perhaps that is why he had time to enjoy the outcome of that tournament. In other words, he witnessed Diego’s eternal goals against the English, the dribbles against Belgium and the take and do it for Burru in the final against Germany.
Today Renato is 58 years old – two less than Diego was on October 30th. He is part of the Maradonian generation. And boy did he show it.
As a reward, Gremio achieved a great victory in Asunción, against the team led by Gustavo Costas. With goals from Jean and Pepe, he won 2-0 and headed for the quarter-finals (the rematch will be next Thursday in Porto Alegre).
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