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
- Real Sociedad’s appointment of Marco Matarazzo was a surprise, even to club president Joxemari Aperribay, who admitted not knowing Matarazzo before making the choice.
- Aperribay revealed that he had consulted an AI about Matarazzo, which advised against the appointment, but he ultimately listened to sporting director Erik Bretos.
- Matarazzo impressed Bretos with his in-depth analysis and knowledge about the team, leading to his official presentation on December 21.
- During Matarazzo’s period out of football, he worked on becoming more selective with player information to avoid overthinking, focusing on clarity and instinctual play.
- Under Matarazzo’s leadership, Real Sociedad exhibited impressive form, winning four consecutive matches starting in January, including key victories against Osasuna and defending champions FC Barcelona.
- Matarazzo’s successful tenure included four wins in 20 matches with only four defeats—all on the road against top-tier competition.
- Real Sociedad’s winning momentum faltered with a surprising 0-1 defeat against Getafe, just two days after their cup victory celebrations.
