Matarazzo achieving significant milestones for American coaches in Europe with Real Sociedad

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain — A young boy enjoys the spring sunshine outside Anoeta, the home ground of Real Sociedad. His name is Iñaki, around six or seven years old, and he is currently filled with joy. Earlier this year, the team he supports alongside his father, Aimar, was facing difficulties. Their worst start to a season in two decades had left them just one point above the relegation zone in LaLiga. The media described it as a “crisis,” labeling the team as “sunk” and “unresponsive.”

Then, a new coach was appointed.

Iñaki was not familiar with Pellegrino Matarazzo at that time — in fact, most people in the area had not heard of this 48-year-old from New Jersey who had never coached in Spain before. But now? “He has been like our God, the savior,” Iñaki states.

“Poliki, poliki,” Matarazzo often says. This phrase comes from Basque, the oldest language in Europe, and translates to something akin to slowly, slowly or step by step. In essence, it encourages calmness. However, how can they remain calm when the turnaround has been so swift, with the next step potentially being a victory in Sunday’s Copa del Rey final, which would mark only the fourth time the club has lifted the trophy in its 116-year history?

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In Matarazzo’s debut match as coach on January 4, La Real managed to draw with Atlético Madrid. They went on to win seven of their next eight matches, including a thrilling victory against Barcelona, and it took two months for them to suffer a defeat. Now, four months into his tenure, Matarazzo has guided the team from the brink of relegation to the cusp of UEFA Champions League qualification and the cup final, overcoming their fierce Basque rivals Athletic Club along the way.

“We needed someone to rejuvenate the team, to unlock the talent we know they possess,” remarks Erik Bretos, Real Sociedad’s sporting director. They opted for a graduate in applied mathematics who had been unemployed for over a year. He had previously coached Bundesliga teams Hoffenheim and Stuttgart, as well as the B team at Nürnberg, and had experience in academy football. Prior to that, he spent his playing career in Germany’s lower leagues. However, Matarazzo notes, “My first team was the Fair Lawn Cutters. That’s the high school team in a typical Bergen County town in New Jersey, where I grew up.”

From that point, his journey has brought him to within one victory of becoming the first U.S.-born coach to secure a major trophy at a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues. He has progressed step by step. Poliki, poliki.

Paint it green, white and red

Real Sociedad’s coach was born in Wayne, NJ, in 1977. He grew up in Patterson and Fair Lawn, with his father Leopoldo being a car mechanic originally from near Avellino, thirty miles inland from Naples, Italy. His mother, Gemma, worked in a local factory in New Jersey and hailed from Salerno, 20 miles south of Avellino. “There was a significant rivalry, a heated football derby,” Matarazzo shares with ESPN. “But for all of us, the main team was Napoli.”

“They were humble, hardworking, doing everything they could to create opportunities for me and my brothers. My family and my Italian heritage instilled a love for the game in me at an early age while watching Serie A on my dad’s small TV. Those were the days of Diego Maradona. We used to have a red Wrangler Jeep. When Italy won the 1982 World Cup, my dad spray-painted it green, white, and red, and we led the parade to Patterson city center with all the Italians following us, honking and waving flags. It was a grand celebration. Those are my earliest memories of the passion we all shared as a family for football.”

He adds: “At that time, other sports dominated the U.S. landscape; football wasn’t as popular. But it is a global sport, part of Italian culture. We would play in the park every Sunday. Then there was the high school team, and our recreational team was coached by my dad and one of my friend’s fathers. It wasn’t a large circle, but it was something we cherished, and it kept us close, connected even though we were outsiders. My dad had a unique way of taking penalty kicks with the outside of his foot; that was his signature move. It was very deceptive. He was quite quick. I can’t say how good he could have been had he had the opportunity. He came to the States young and had to start working right away.”

If Matarazzo Sr. didn’t get to play as much as he desired, Matarazzo Jr. certainly did. And he excelled as well. “I’m trying to remain humble,” he chuckles. “But I was the top player in high school, the one who lived and breathed the game the most. I always had heart and commitment. I was creative, a goal-scorer, an attacking player. I performed well in college too. As a freshman, I quickly became a starter. So in the U.S. at that time, I would consider myself a good player. And I always knew my path was football.”

Not everyone shared that belief. In fact, some thought he was foolish. Matarazzo’s journey is one of passion and determination, and it is understandable that some questioned his choices. Mathematics came easily to him, and as an Ivy League graduate with a degree in applied mathematics, he had numerous opportunities ahead of him. In finance, he was in demand. In football, not so much. Being a skilled player in that U.S. context helped him gain entry to Columbia, but making it a career was a different challenge.

“I had opportunities to start working. Several companies showed interest,” Matarazzo recalls. “But I didn’t want to enter the corporate world without giving football a chance. There was something driving me: I suppose that’s why I’m here now.”

“The initial thought was to play in Italy, of course. After college, I had been promised a trial with Salernitana through an agent. I arrived in June after graduation, but it never materialized. They kept delaying the trial, and by the end of the transfer window, I had a chance to train with a third-division club for just one day. The coach said, ‘Listen, I see your potential, but we can’t sign you. You should start in the lower leagues.’ I lost a year.”

play1:27How Matarazzo went from Ivy League to Germany’s lower leagues

Pellegrino Matarazzo explains why, despite graduating from Columbia University with a degree in applied mathematics, he chose to pursue a career as a soccer player in Europe.

There’s a pause, a smile. Fond memories resurface. “Well,” he says, “I wouldn’t say I lost a year: Six months with my grandparents on the hazelnut farm was an incredible experience. I traveled around Italy as well. But I did lose a year of football and returned to the States.”

“There were two sides to it. After several months without joining a team, my mom was encouraging me to consider business instead. Many people around me — family, friends — were asking, ‘What are you doing? Why don’t you start working?’ But I insisted, ‘No, I’m going to give football one last chance.’ My dad recognized that as part of who I am, [of] growing up. He was the one saying, ‘Go, go, go.’

So Pellegrino Matarazzo did go.

“A German individual saw me playing and invited me to trial at a fourth-division club where his friend was the coach. I didn’t hesitate. I left the U.S. immediately, with just one piece of luggage. And I never returned.”

‘This is the moment we can dance’

Twenty-five years went by. They weren’t always straightforward.

Matarazzo transitioned from playing as a No. 10 to a No. 6, and he now laughs as he recalls how fans enjoyed cheering for the American who struggled to win headers despite being 6-foot-5. Although he quickly advanced from the fourth tier to the third, he did not progress further, with his peak being a cup match against Werder Bremen. His playing career at SG Wattenscheid 09, SV Wehen, Preussen Munster, and Eintracht Bad Kreuznach kept him in Germany for eight years; his coaching career extended over a decade longer.

“I earned enough to get by,” he states. “I wouldn’t classify myself as a professional player, but it was my occupation. Even then, some suggested, ‘Come back and utilize your degree; it could lead to a very successful future.’ However, I had enjoyed coaching at soccer camps in the U.S. and I love the game, so I always wanted to continue. My playing career was not sufficient to say, ‘OK, I’m satisfied with what I’ve accomplished.’ There was still a hunger within me.

“However, there was a period when I faced challenges obtaining my coaching licenses. I had to truly demonstrate my quality, to be better than everyone else, to gain entry into the course. And when I transitioned into coaching, we faced difficulties. By the time I became an assistant at Hoffenheim, my first role with a professional team, my bank account was … in the red. It was tight, very tight. My wife jokes about it because my currency was doner kebabs. Whenever she would buy something, I would say: ‘Dani, you know how many doner kebabs we could have gotten with that?!'”

A return to the U.S. was contemplated, but the ambition to achieve his goals in Europe kept Matarazzo there.

“It’s amusing,” he remarks. “There was a time when I was at Hoffenheim, working in the academy, and I told my wife, ‘Maybe this is it. Perhaps I should settle here. Build a family. Do something productive. I’m still in the game.’ And she responded, ‘Rino, look at all you sacrificed. There’s no way you’re going to be content with just this.’ That resonated with me. I acknowledged, ‘You’re right. I’m going to keep pushing.’ I was also courageous enough to decline opportunities that didn’t feel right.”

Then one day, late in 2018, 18 years after first arriving in Germany, Stuttgart reached out. “I just knew,” Matarazzo recalls.

“One image stands out. New Year’s Eve, right before I took over at Stuttgart. It was all arranged. Just me, my wife, and my son in our apartment. My wife played a song. A German song; I can’t recall the title. But she began to dance. And I thought, ‘You know what? Yeah. Yeah.’ This is the moment we can dance. A moment to pause and acknowledge ‘OK, this is happening. This is reality. This is what we have been working and waiting for my entire life.’

The open Atlantic

“I’m pleased with how it has turned out. I mean, look at this.” Indeed, quite.

Matarazzo gazes across the stunning bay of La Concha, a golden, arched stretch of sand at the center of San Sebastian (or Donostia, in Basque), one of Europe’s most refined cities.

His family has had to remain in Germany for the time being: His 16-year-old son has 1½ years left of high school, with exams approaching, and there is Jiraiya, the family Weimaraner, to consider as well. “My son named him after an anime character who symbolizes resilience,” Matarazzo explains. “It’s a fitting name for a wonderful dog.” He misses them, but everything else is going exceptionally well.

“I had heard that the food here is excellent, that it’s a beautiful place, and, well, it has lived up to its reputation,” Matarazzo remarks, pointing out various sights as he strolls along the promenade and into the old town where every door is a bar, filled with pintxos. As he walks, he receives glances, the occasional request for a photo, and many people expressing their gratitude. As the cup final approaches, the anticipation grows. “I step outside my apartment, and the first thing I hear is ‘Win!’

“Typically, my walk is where we are now. I go up around this small mountain. Monte Urgull, to the back where you can see the open Atlantic. I walk by the port. Have a drink, a coffee, eat something. This is my daily routine, what I do. Generally, I walk without a specific destination … but with a clear internal direction … thoughts and feelings being released. A couple of pintxos [small snacks], a txakoli [local wine], chatting with people. The people are genuinely quality individuals.”

play1:30Matarazzo on being a U.S. coach in Europe: ‘A lot of comparisons to Ted Lasso’

Real Sociedad coach Pellegrino Matarazzo reveals that he has felt a resistance from the European soccer world to hiring American players and coaches.

It has been partly Matarazzo’s willingness to embrace the city, the region, and Basque culture, along with his evident appreciation for them, that has enabled the locals to quickly take him to heart. “Well,” he acknowledges. “Let’s be honest, the results are a significant factor. Winning matches is crucial.”

He smiles. “I mean, I’m here for the football,” he adds, laughing.

Matarazzo has achieved numerous victories. When Real Sociedad contacted him in the autumn, they were in distress. By the time they dismissed former coach Sergio Francisco, they had accumulated just 16 points from 16 matches. After leading Stuttgart to the Bundesliga and then guiding Hoffenheim into Europe, Matarazzo had been released, prompting him to conclude: It was time to explore something different, in a different location.

“At Hoffenheim, it was evident what was going to happen. The politics, the dynamics within the club had shifted,” Matarazzo explains, snapping his fingers. “OK done. I shut down quickly, recovered, and regenerated. I took a year to rest, gain knowledge, and prepare. I understood my next step would be critical, so I was patient.

“It is true that the longer you are away from the game, the less likely you are to return. So I set a timeframe for myself. How long can I be very, very selective? When do I need to seize an opportunity that I might not have initially considered?”

How close was he to the limit? “Very close. There was interest from strong leagues in Europe, but no openings had arisen. I was quite near that limit, to be honest.”

To date, Jesse Marsch’s two Austrian league and cup doubles in consecutive years with RB Salzburg represent the pinnacle for American managers in Europe. Matarazzo, Marsch, Bob Bradley, and David Wagner are the only American coaches to hold positions in one of Europe’s top five leagues, but none of those tenures resulted in any trophies. Is there still resistance to Americans in European football?

“I have sensed that, yes,” Matarazzo admits. “I experienced it as a player. And as a coach. In the initial phases: ‘What can he do?’ And you [still] encounter comparisons to Ted Lasso. Right? I don’t feel responsible for other Americans. But if [my success helps], fantastic. I would love to open doors, but that’s not my primary motivation.”

When the opportunity arose in Spain, it was ideal for all parties. “From the very first call, I accepted,” Matarazzo states. “I was in London, cut that trip short to come to Biarritz to meet Jokin [Aperribay, the club president] and Erik [Bretos]. From the first conversation, I realized: There’s something here. I resonate with the values of the club, the region. I fell in love immediately.

“The fact that there are so many outstanding football clubs and players from the Basque region is remarkable: Someone should conduct a study on it. The culture surrounding this city and region is: hardworking, humble, grounded. I relate to it. It starts with the people and is evident in our captain Mikel Oyarzabal: a significant player but still so humble, so connected.

“You know LaLiga. You understand what a special club Real Sociedad has been. It’s a good blend of emotional investment, strong fan support, and very astute decision-making. You observe the games: That’s the first thing you do when a club approaches you. You contemplate your character, how you can integrate it into a team, how you can assist them, what the potential is, the style. … You absorb it, and it generates an instinctive feeling. Right? You can’t quantify feeling.”

Matarazzo chuckles. Surely he can? “Well, perhaps. But I’ve been out of the mathematics field for 25 years. It’s undoubtedly a complex equation. So I just let go, and it felt right.”

play2:43Burley praises ‘quality’ Real Sociedad win over Barcelona

Craig Burley and Luis Garcia discuss Real Sociedad’s 2-1 victory at home against Barcelona in LaLiga.

Poliki, Poliki

It was indeed the right choice.

“You establish priorities,” Matarazzo explains. “You engage in discussions with leaders at the club. The captains. With Mikel. I outline the steps, the process. The aspects that can propel us the furthest with the least effort: You tackle [those] first. There’s a mental aspect, a technical, tactical aspect. You discuss who we are: What defines our personality, our character? It was crucial for them to have clarity. It’s no secret that this team possesses significant potential.

“We emphasized activation. On connection. How we respond to setbacks, reset, and move forward. This team