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Atlas Hand Reins To Former Boca Juniors Boss Ischia
Atlas hired Carlos Ischia as manager and will hope the former Boca Juniors boss can lead the club to success next season.
Dec 8, 2009 2:35:55 PM
Atlas hired former Boca Juniors manager Carlos Ischia and have handed their reins over from one Argentine to another.
Ischia, who led Boca Juniors to the Apertura 2008 championship in Argentina, takes over for the deposed Ricardo Lavolpe. Ischia said he would immediately try and give the club an attacking mindset.
"I've always liked to play with the thought of the opposing goal in front of me, without forgetting that I have to defend my own," Ischia said in a press conference. "But I always think of the opposing goal. That's my philosophy and I try to instill that in the players."
Atlas had problems scoring goals last season. In the Apertura 2009 season, Atlas were abysmal offensively. Los rojinegros scored 14 goals in 17 games, and three of them came in the last week of the season when Atlas had long been done for. Only Indios scored fewer goals than Atlas, who had entered the season with high hopes of reaching the Liguilla.
Perhaps it was the lack of punch that led Atlas officials to seek out an attack-minded manager as Ischia said his only goal is to score goals.
"With respect for the ball, with respect for teammates, trying to take care of it the best way possible, but knowing that in football you win with goals," Ischia said when asked about his approach. "You don't win simply by playing well or managing the ball well. You have to be aggressive."
Ischia enters a bit of a rough situation with Atlas. Financial problems caused the club to skip out on payments for their players and coaching staff, while Lavolpe's constant in-fighting with several players led to a fractured locker room. Former stars Bruno Marioni and Jorge Achucarro were among the players to have left the club under Lavolpe while Daniel Osorno and Dario Botinelli could both be on the way out as well.
But Ischia said he is open to talking to his players, and only wants those who want to be with the club.
"I like to talk to the players," he said. "I will never obligate anyone or ask anyone to stay if they don't want to be here. I beleive professional players, whether they are 19 or 20 years old, know what they want."
Ischia also joins a club, though, that is well-known for producing quality talent. While the club may or may not bring in high-profile players, Ischia said he would not blame the front office for any lack of resources when it comes to available talent.
"You will never hear me say that the team is not winning because they did not give me the player I wanted. I've always adapted myself to what I have to work with and when there isn't enough in the team, you have to look and here, this is a club that offers great possibilities to look below. Logically this does not mean some players will not come, but that's another topic for another day."
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