Without artificial intelligence, this historic fairy tale would never have happened: how Pellegrino Matarazzo became the ‘miracle man’ at Real Sociedad
Publish Date: 2026-04-23 06:43:00
Source Domain: www.goal.com
The decision to appoint Matarazzo, then a virtual unknown in Spain, probably took even Aperribay by surprise. “I didn’t know him,” the Real Sociedad president admitted to Cadena SER after the cup final victory. He also revealed, “I asked the AI whether he would be a good manager for Real Sociedad. It told me no.” Fortunately, Aperribay ignored the algorithm and trusted sporting director Erik Bretos, who had endorsed the former VfB Stuttgart (December 2019–October 2022) and TSG Hoffenheim (February 2023–November 2024) boss.
Matarazzo impressed him at their first meeting, “because he knew everything about everyone. He had an impressive analysis of Real Sociedad,” praised Aperribay, who ultimately approved the appointment after five discussions. Matarazzo was presented on 21 December, 13 months after his departure from Hoffenheim.
During his time out of the game, he reflected on earlier setbacks, telling The Athletic, “I used to overload players with information. I’ve since learned to be selective and tailor my approach so they can bring their energy to the pitch without overthinking.” “Clarity is crucial—whether it’s verticality, line-breaking, positional play, pressing triggers or overall principles—but if players have too much in their heads, they can’t act instinctively,” he explained.
Clarity in his instructions, combined with freedom for players to make decisions on the pitch, has formed the bedrock of his approach, helping him “find very good solutions to restore a winning mentality and get the team back on the road to success”. The Copa triumph brought the narrative full circle: Matarazzo’s Real Sociedad chapter began in early January against Atlético, and his debut ended in a respectable 1–1 draw—the first step toward recovery.
Four consecutive victories then followed, two of them particularly memorable. The first of those victories required bold luck: in the round of 16 at home to Osasuna, Real Sociedad were 0-2…
