Marked for Mateo Muñoz
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match7 Aug 2027
11 matches without a win for Talleres
The run now stands at 11, and the questions being asked around Talleres are no longer polite ones.
Match9 Aug 2027
Talleres sink to position 16
26 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Squad9 Aug 2027
A falling-out at Talleres
Federico Versaci and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Words at Talleres training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Maximiliano Rodríguez is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Match7 Aug 2027
Late, late show earns Talleres a point
Minute 94, against Almirante Brown, and a goal that felt like a win to everybody who had stayed. It was a draw. Nobody leaving the ground will describe it as one.
Match7 Aug 2027
A 1‑1 draw with Almirante Brown leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
The dugout9 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of Facundo Infante
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout9 Aug 2027
“A point is a point and I will take it, but we should have had all three.” Pedro Sánchez after the 1‑1 draw, and the sentence every manager in the country said at some stage this weekend.
Market9 Aug 2027
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Federico Versaci signs something — a contract at Talleres or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match24 Jul 2027
9 matches without a win for Talleres
The run now stands at 9, and the questions being asked around Talleres are no longer polite ones.
Market26 Jul 2027
“It was not right for me. I am not going to explain why to anybody except the people I owe an explanation to.” A deal agreed between two clubs, and a player who declined to be part of it.
Player ratings26 Jul 2027
Successful dribbles: 27. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Boardroom26 Jul 2027
Talleres close the window on a squad of their own making
0 in and 1 out, and no more changes for months. The manager has what he has, the supporters have their opinion of it, and the table will have the last word.
Squad26 Jul 2027
Federico Versaci was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad26 Jul 2027
Eugenio Olivera falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Boardroom26 Jul 2027
Wages eat 120% of everything Talleres earn
There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.
The dugout26 Jul 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mateo Muñoz, and the manager let it.
In brief
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The dugout
The manager’s verdict
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The dugout
Lautaro César has become a man the manager trusts
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Looking ahead
Abel Masuero faces his old club
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Player ratings29 Mar 2027
Successful dribbles: 22. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad29 Mar 2027
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad29 Mar 2027
Matías Bazzi in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Talleres this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match27 Mar 2027
Chacarita Juniors left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout29 Mar 2027
“I could talk about decisions and I could talk about luck. I will not. We lost.” The manager, 0‑1, and a press conference that lasted four minutes.
The dugout29 Mar 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mateo Muñoz, and the manager let it.
Squad29 Mar 2027
Player of the week, judged against every other man in the division. A small award, and one most careers never collect.
The dugout29 Mar 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Talleres, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Looking ahead29 Mar 2027
Every squad has one of these fixtures for somebody every season. This one is Abel Masuero’s: the club that knew him first, the supporters who will decide in the first minute whether to applaud, and Talleres needing him to play as if none of it matters.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad22 Mar 2027
The match ball belongs to Eugenio Olivera, whose 3 goals turned a difficult afternoon into a procession.
The dugout22 Mar 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Market22 Mar 2027
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Facundo Rodríguez will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Talleres the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Player ratings22 Mar 2027
A performance of 9.33 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Match20 Mar 2027
Estudiantes made Talleres work for it, but the scoreboard read 3‑1 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Player ratings22 Mar 2027
Successful dribbles: 18. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad22 Mar 2027
A row about effort at Talleres
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Matías Bazzi was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad22 Mar 2027
Sebastián Gallardo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout22 Mar 2027
The view from the dugout
“We controlled it. There were spells I did not like and we will look at them, but the group showed me something.” Pedro Sánchez, on a 3‑1 win that he was already picking apart on the walk to the press room.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market1 Feb 2027
The clubs have settled the fee and he has settled his wages. What remains is a medical and a photograph, and around Talleres people have started saying his name in the past tense.
The dugout1 Feb 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Talleres may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Words at Talleres training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Maximiliano Rodríguez is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Matías Bazzi in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Talleres this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad1 Feb 2027
The medical room confirms 57 days on the sidelines for Santiago Scian, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
The dugout1 Feb 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Joaquín Morrone, and the manager let it.
The dugout1 Feb 2027
Mateo Muñoz has been promised minutes
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Mateo Muñoz has written the date down.
Market1 Feb 2027
The Mauro Casoli talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Talleres know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Federico Ulayar is not doing himself any favours
A manager forgives a bad Saturday far more readily than a bad Tuesday, because one of them he can explain and the other one he chose. The reports this week have not been good.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout25 Jan 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Talleres may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad25 Jan 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Talleres this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad25 Jan 2027
Words at Talleres training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Maximiliano Rodríguez is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout25 Jan 2027
Lautaro César has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Talleres will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
Market25 Jan 2027
The name of Matías Samaniego keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Talleres say nothing, which says plenty.
The dugout25 Jan 2027
Tobías Armas asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market14 Dec 2026
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Talleres, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad14 Dec 2026
Matías Bazzi was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad14 Dec 2026
Eugenio Olivera falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout14 Dec 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad14 Dec 2026
Numbers do not stay secret in a dressing room. He is not asking for more than he is worth; he is asking why somebody beside him is worth more, and Talleres have no good answer.
Market14 Dec 2026
Talleres have let the market know Nicolás Malvacio can be had. No price in the advert, but everyone in the trade knows roughly what it says.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market9 Nov 2026
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Talleres, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad9 Nov 2026
Nicolás Malvacio was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad9 Nov 2026
A row about effort at Talleres
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Maximiliano Rodríguez was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Pablo Cortizo, and the manager let it.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Ignacio Colombini trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market9 Nov 2026
2 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Talleres could get for him.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market26 Oct 2026
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Talleres is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Boardroom26 Oct 2026
There is no worse way to lose a footballer. Nicolás Malvacio has pre-agreed a move away, which means every appearance between now and June is made by a man the club can no longer sell, and somebody upstairs will be asked why the contract was allowed to get here.
Squad26 Oct 2026
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad26 Oct 2026
Eugenio Olivera was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout26 Oct 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Eugenio Olivera, and the manager let it.
Market26 Oct 2026
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Talleres know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Squad26 Oct 2026
Mateo Muñoz wants out of the dugout
“I did not sign to watch. Nobody does.” The oldest complaint in the game, and Talleres will have to answer it with minutes or with a move.
The dugout26 Oct 2026
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Sebastián Gallardo has written the date down.
Market26 Oct 2026
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Leonel Niklinski may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout19 Oct 2026
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Talleres may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad19 Oct 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Talleres this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Gabriel Salguero is a better footballer than he was
Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 21 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.
Squad19 Oct 2026
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
Mateo Muñoz gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Nicolás Malvacio has seen what the next man earns
Numbers do not stay secret in a dressing room and never have. He is not asking for more than he is worth; he is asking why somebody beside him is worth more, and at Talleres that is a harder question to answer.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout12 Oct 2026
Leonel Niklinski: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Talleres have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Nicolás Malvacio was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
The manager makes an example of Rodrigo Vélez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Eugenio Olivera falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market12 Oct 2026
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Talleres has been clear about where Leonel Niklinski stands, which is more than many ever get.
Market12 Oct 2026
The clock does Nicolás Malvacio’s negotiating for him
3 months left, and both sides know what that means: every week without a signature, the fee Talleres could ask drops and the wages Nicolás Malvacio can ask rise.
Market12 Oct 2026
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Talleres know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
Mateo Muñoz knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Mateo Muñoz trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match19 Sep 2026
No end in sight to Talleres's wait for a win
8 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Talleres has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad21 Sep 2026
Words exchanged at Talleres
Rodrigo Vélez and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Player ratings21 Sep 2026
Successful dribbles: 20. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
Match19 Sep 2026
0‑2 to Estudiantes, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad21 Sep 2026
A row about effort at Talleres
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Eugenio Olivera was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
The view from the dugout
“We will look at it, we will learn from it, and we go again.” The three sentences every manager keeps for a 0‑2 defeat, delivered by Pedro Sánchez to a room that had heard them before.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
Clubs make promises constantly and the page usually only hears about them when they are broken. This one was honoured, and the dressing room noticed that faster than any supporter did.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
Mateo Muñoz gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Nicolás Malvacio trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.