The “Matarazzo effect”: How the US coach is reviving Real Sociedad

Still undefeated 

©IMAGO

After the last summer’s departure of long-time successful head coach Imanol Alguacil, Real Sociedad was left with a huge gap to fill. On top of that, the club was closer to the relegation zone than to European competition – until the arrival of Pellegrino Matarazzo. Under the 48-year-old, the Txuri-Urdin are unbeaten in eight games and are in the race to qualify for Europe. As a result, the term “Matarazzo effect” has already begun to circulate.

However, many Basque fans were likely to have rubbed their eyes in amazement at the appointment of the former Stuttgart and Hoffenheim coach. Most of them were hardly familiar with the American-born coach with Italian roots, or only knew him in passing. After all, he had previously worked exclusively in Germany and had been without a coaching job since November 2024.

Matarazzo, the first American to coach in LaLiga, was not deterred by possible scepticism and got off to a promising start. In his debut, he and his team drew 1-1 with Atlético Madrid. This was followed by six wins in seven games across all competitions, including a 2-1 league victory over Barcelona, after which the fans chanted his name in the stadium for the first time. Since Matarazzo’s arrival, La Real has climbed from 16th to eighth in the LaLiga table, and only Real Madrid have a better points tally so far this season. As a reward, Pellegrino was voted the Coach of the Month in January.

Matarazzo completely transforms Real Sociedad

But what did Matarazzo change that led to such a rapid positive trend after Alguacil’s successor Sergio Francisco had previously averaged only 1.22 points per game, compared to 2.50 now? “Since Matarazzo’s arrival, many players have reached a higher level both physically and in terms of their self-confidence. It seems as if they believe in the coach’s plan. This has certainly been confirmed by the results, but a change in the professionals has been noticeable since the first game. The team is playing more offensively and trying to win the ball back quickly after a loss. In addition, despite conceding a few goals – the team has not played a game without conceding since he took over – Real Sociedad is creating many dangerous situations,” Transfermarkt Content Manager Spain, Iván Fuente, said.

Matarazzo favours a much more pragmatic and adaptable style than his predecessors. “It’s important to be flexible. Every game has a different key,” the coach himself recently emphasised. While Alguacil and, to a lesser extent, Francisco stood for a philosophy of high possession, the American allows his team to play much more directly, with many more quick transitions aimed at surprising the opponent. Starting from a 4-2-3-1 formation with captain Mikel Oyarzabal as the clear spearhead, Real Sociedad often wins the ball in the opponent’s half thanks to very aggressive pressing, which makes it as difficult as possible for the opposition to break free. Even after losing possession, the Basques attack much more directly than before, always supported by a strong midfield around Brais Méndez, Gonçalo Guedes and Carlos Soler.

Fuente also emphasises this: “Players like Álex Remiro and Oyarzabal have taken on their roles as team leaders, which has given their teammates confidence. Others stand out for their individual performances, such as Guedes.”

Although the Txuri-Urdin are still relatively vulnerable at the back, they have so far made up for this with a strong attack. Under Matarazzo, they have scored an average of 2.1 goals per game (not including the penalty shoot-out in the cup quarter-final). By comparison, under Francisco, the average was 1.4. The Basques are usually very effective in front of the opponent’s goal, which has further boosted the players’ confidence. The top scorer to date is Oyarzabal, who has scored ten goals, already as many as he scored in the last two seasons combined.

Matarazzo completely transformed the club in a very short time. A team that previously seemed listless and aimless has become an aggressive side that actively creates chances and scores goals. La Real has also ceased to be a predictable team for its rivals and has become a team that can adapt to different scenarios, contexts and game plans without losing its competitiveness. Or as the Spanish media calls it: the “Matarazzo effect” has struck.

The head coach is supported by his assistants Ömer Toprak, who is now gaining his first experience as an assistant coach after ending his professional career at Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund, among others, and John Maisano, who is responsible for giving instructions in Spanish thanks to his Argentine parents. Matarazzo currently (still) speaks English at press conferences.

Real Sociedad ahead of cup semi-final against Athletic Bilbao

The next test for Matarazzo and his charges comes on Wednesday evening in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at Athletic. In the league, the Basque derby recently ended in a 1-1 draw. “We want to continue riding this wave,” said Matarazzo ahead of the match, referring to the unbeaten run. “There is a lot of excitement, and we sense the opportunity, but there is only one way to go, one step at a time. We want the best result and therefore will not play with the handbrake on.”

For Real Sociedad, it is their fourth semi-final in seven years and their third in a row. They last celebrated the title in 2021 – in the final against Athletic. At that time, however, there was no audience due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the club is two games away from another chance to win the cup. The second leg is scheduled for 4 March. In the league, heavyweights Real Madrid await away from home this coming Saturday. It is another opportunity for Matarazzo to assess the situation.