Diego Flores (footballer)

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Diego Flores
Personal information
Full name Rodolfo Diego Flores [1]
Date of birth (1980-12-11) 11 December 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth Córdoba, Argentina [2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Gimnasia La Plata (manager)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Las Flores
2000–2006 Sportivo Belgrano Almafuerte
Progreso de Noetinger
2009 Sportivo Belgrano Almafuerte
2013 Kingswood Castle
Managerial career
General Paz Juniors (youth)
Taborín (youth)
2012 Sportivo Belgrano Almafuerte
2013 Kingswood Castle (youth)
2014–2015 Marseille (assistant)
2016 Lazio (assistant)
2017 Lille (assistant)
2018–2021 Leeds United (assistant)
2021–2022 Godoy Cruz
2023 Godoy Cruz
2024 San Martín de Tucumán
2025– Gimnasia La Plata
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Rodolfo Diego Flores (born 11 December 1980) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played mainly as a midfielder. He is the current manager of Gimnasia La Plata.

Contents

Career

Born in Córdoba, Flores only played amateur football before deciding he would become a coach at the age of 24. [2] He began his managerial career with General Paz Juniors, later working at Taborín's youth categories and Sportivo Belgrano de Almafuerte [1] [3] before moving to Ireland in 2013 to study for UEFA qualifications. [4]

While in Ireland, Flores worked as a barista in a coffeehouse and played for Dublin-based side Kingswood Castle; at the club, he also helped managing the youth teams. [4] After leaving Ireland at the end of 2013, he moved to Southampton where he met Mauricio Pochettino, and later Marcelo Bielsa; [4] after a chat with Diego Reyes, a member of Bielsa's staff, [5] he was invited by Bielsa to join his coaching staff at Olympique de Marseille. [6]

Flores worked under Bielsa for a total of seven years, at Lazio, Lille OSC and Leeds United. [6] On 31 August 2021, he was appointed manager of Argentine Primera División side Godoy Cruz. [7]

Flores' first professional match occurred on 5 September 2021, a 4–0 home routing of Gimnasia La Plata. [8] The following April, he left the club on a mutual agreement. [9]

On 3 November 2022, Flores returned to Godoy Cruz, after being appointed manager for the upcoming season, [10] but again left the club the following 10 April, after being dismissed. [11]

On 11 December 2023, Flores was named manager of San Martín de Tucumán. [12] He led the club to the 2024 Primera Nacional final, losing to Aldosivi, but missed out promotion in the Torneo Reducido after being knocked out in the semifinals by Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza; on 13 December 2024, he was sacked. [13]

On 10 February 2025, Flores was named in charge of Gimnasia La Plata back in the top tier. [14]

References

  1. 1 2 "De dirigir Belgrano a ascender con Bielsa" [From managing Belgrano to promoting with Bielsa] (in Spanish). LigaRioTres.com. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Flores, el nuevo DT de Godoy Cruz: "La vida me sorprendió hasta llegar a Marcelo Bielsa"" [Flores, the new manager of Godoy Cruz: "Life surprised me until reaching Marcelo Bielsa"] (in Spanish). Olé. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "De dirigir en el interior de Córdoba a ser DT de Godoy Cruz: la increíble historia de Diego Flores" [From managing in the countryside of Córdoba to becoming the manager of Godoy Cruz: the incredible history of Diego Flores] (in Spanish). La Voz del Interior. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Explained: Who are the men behind Bielsa?" . The Athletic. 24 September 2019. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "Quién es Diego Flores, el trotamundos y traductor de Bielsa que se convirtió en DT de Godoy Cruz" [Who is Diego Torres, the globetrotter and translator of Bielsa who became the manager of Godoy Cruz] (in Spanish). Clarín. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 "'Taught me to be a better person' - Godoy Cruz boss Diego Flores on working for Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa". Yorkshire Evening Post. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "Diego Flores, de trabajar con Bielsa a ser entrenador en Godoy Cruz" [Diego Flores, from working with Bielsa to becoming a manager at Godoy Cruz] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "La presentación de Diego Flores, en Godoy Cruz, en las cámaras de Paso a Paso" [The presentation of Diego Flores, at Godoy Cruz, in the cameras of Paso a Paso] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "Diego Flores dejó de ser el director técnico de Godoy Cruz" [Diego Flores left as manager of Godoy Cruz] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 10 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "Diego Flores acordó su vuelta a Godoy Cruz y será el nuevo entrenador" [Diego Flores agreed his return to Godoy Cruz and will be the next manager] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 3 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Diego Flores dejó nuevamente Godoy Cruz, un año y un día después del fin de su primer ciclo" [Diego Flores left Godoy Cruz again, one year and a day after the end of his first cycle] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Diego Flores será el director técnico de San Martín de Tucumán" [Diego Flores will be the manager of San Martín de Tucumán] (in Spanish). La Gaceta. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  13. ↑ "La drástica decisión que tomó San Martín de Tucumán con Diego Flores" [San Martín de Tucumán's drastic decision with Diego Flores] (in Spanish). Olé. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "Vuelve el Traductor: Diego Flores dirigirá a Gimnasia" [The Translator returns: Diego Flores will manage Gimnasia] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 7 February 2025.
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