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the past Alvaro Gutierrez An illusion is born. Gotti made his way through the difficulties. Every time they called him it was to put out a fire. It was more than fulfilling. Under his leadership, Nacional was twice champion. But, as if that weren’t enough, there is another stat that carries tremendous weight in the big clubs, and that is the classic stat.
Gutierrez has an incredible record of leading Nacional against Peñarol. He has never lost an official match against his traditional rival. Moreover, he won all the finals he played against aurinegros. Specifically: the final of Uruguay 2014/2015, the conclusion of the 2019 season and Uruguay in the same year.
Guti lost only one match against Peñarol and it was a friendly. It happened in July 2019 in Boca Raton, United States, where the aurinegros defeated the tricolor 2 to 1.
The first Clasico that Gutierrez directed at Nacional was described as a fire in people’s hearts. It was played in November 2014 and was won by the bag by goals per hour. Peñarol led 1-0 from the 57th minute with a goal from Pacheco until, in the 91st minute, Ivan Alonso equalized the match. Four minutes later, Chino Recoba gave him the victory with a goal he remembers in pain.
Gotti also witnessed the debut of Pablo Bengochea, the idol of Peñarol, as a coach in the classics. He defeated him in the two summer matches and later in the final of the 2014/15 Uruguayan Championship.
In that final, Nacional won 2-0 but Luis Aguiar scored twice for Peñarol, the latter painfully and on the hour, to force extra time. Colo Santiago Romero’s goal came in the 109th minute to give Nacional the title.
Gutiérrez captained the tricolor in the first classic played at Champion of the Century, a match that ended in a 1-1 tie, and in 2019, he lost his only match. It was in a friendly match contested in Boca Raton, USA. Peñarol, captained by Diego López, beat it 2-1 with a goal in one hour from Darwin Nunez.
Guti took revenge in the finals by winning the Clausura 2-0 and Uruguay 1-0 to be crowned champions for the 2019 season.
Gutiérrez’s classic record as DT of Nacional
11/09/14 Opening of the National Stadium 2 – Peñarol 1
01/12/15 National Bandes Cup Stadium 1 – Peñarol 0
01/18/15 Summer Cup National Stadium 3 – Peñarol 0
05/17/15 Draw Clausura Stadium 1-1
06/14/15 Uruguay Final 3 – Peñarol 2
05/12/19 Inaugural Century Champion Draw 1-1
07/06/19 Giants Cup Boca Raton Peñarol 2-1
09/01/19 National Intermediate Stadium 3 – Peñarol 0
11/17/2019 Clausura Stadium drew 0-0
12/11/19 National Stadium Final 2 – Peñarol 0
12/15/19 Uruguay Final National Stadium 1 – Peñarol 0.
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