El País survey: Gustavo Costas, Filipe Luis, and Gustavo Alfaro, the three finalists for best coach in the Americas

Editorial Team As the days go by and the continent's tournaments come to an end, the specialized press in America continues to send in its votes for the América le responde a El País survey. Beyond choosing its candidates for King of America, the election for best coach is also gaining momentum. If we focus on this category, there is a trend that has gradually emerged and today indicates that there are three finalists for this award: Gustavo Costas, Filipe Luis, and Gustavo Alfaro. The first thing to note is that the award will once again go to a South American coach after Portugal's Artur Jorge won it in 2024 following a great year with Botafogo. On the other hand, the trend of Argentine and Brazilian coaches—beyond the Portuguese—has continued since 2017, as no coach of another nationality has won since 2016, when Colombian Reinaldo Rueda took home the award. Gustavo Costas made it to this grand final—which he also reached in 2024—on sporting merit, winning the Recopa Sudamericana against Botafogo, reaching the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, and finishing as runner-up in the Torneo Clausura after eliminating River Plate and Boca Juniors, but also because of the charisma he generated both on and off the field. His unique way of experiencing matches and how he made Racing play earned him the right to enter this final stretch. On the other hand—perhaps with a more understated style, but with great performance—Filipe Luis made the list after having a dream year with Flamengo. In addition to his outstanding performance in the Club World Cup and Intercontinental Cup, he won the Copa Libertadores, the Brasileirao, the Brazilian Super Cup, and the Carioca, as well as trophies for defeating Cruz Azul and Pyramids in Qatar (Derby de las Americas and Copa Challenger). Gustavo Alfaro has the distinction of being a finalist again, as he was in 2024, but this time with a national team. On that occasion, he started with Costa Rica and ended with Paraguay, and in this edition, he secured the Guaraníes' qualification for the World Cup after 16 years. With the time remaining to vote (until December 29) and the votes obtained, big names such as Lionel Scaloni and Abel Ferreira were somewhat left behind.