It was a joyous occasion Tuesday at Q2 Stadium as Austin FC hosted a special press conference to introduce Nico Estévez, who was announced Friday as the club’s new head coach. ATXFC ownership and staff crowded into the pitch-side Lexus Club, snacked on freshly baked cookies and welcomed the Spanish coach to Austin with a warm round of applause.
Only one thing that threatened to dampen the good vibes of the press conference: Regrettably, the press showed up. And to make matters worse, for reasons we may never fully comprehend, they came armed to the teeth with questions.
In a disgusting display of negative spin and, frankly, poor manners, the local media interrogated Estévez for 35 straight minutes. Virtually zero attention was given to the topics that really matter – topics like how good looking he is, how lovely his Valencian accent sounds, and how excited he is to coach in front of the Verde fans. Instead, the “journalists” in attendance dared to inquire about such irrelevant topics as Estévez’s coaching background, his soccer philosophies, and his assessment of the Austin FC roster he is inheriting.
Fortunately, ATXFC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell, seated next to Estévez on the dais, took it upon himself to rescue the afternoon affair and stand up to those hostile media hacks on several occasions.
“I would encourage everybody to look forward,” he heroically urged when it became clear that reporters were hellbent on probing Estévez about his two and a half seasons coaching FC Dallas from 2022 until June of this year, when he was dismissed following a 3W-8L-5D start to the season.
“I would appreciate that the questions are about Austin FC, which is what matters, and not relating to the past and the past and the past and the past,” Borrell said, pounding the table for emphasis.
Borrell also stepped up when one ill-meaning columnist from The Austin Chronicle had the audacity to point out that Estévez brings with him an eerily similar résumé to the man whom he is replacing in the job, his close friend Josh Wolff (both served together as assistants on Gregg Berhalter’s Columbus Crew and U.S. Men’s National Team coaching staffs before heading up their respective Copa Tejas clubs).
“I think you are trying to make some kind of connection that, I guess, doesn’t work for me,” Borrell said.
The former Manchester City, Liverpool, and Barcelona man stuck to his guns when pressed about a humble comment he made in the aftermath of Wolff’s firing, that at least 25 coaches – “names that you couldn’t even believe” – had reached out to him expressing interest in the vacancy.
Only one thing that threatened to dampen the good vibes of the press conference: Regrettably, the press showed up.
“It is true that there has been a good amount of interest in the position. Okay? Which is good. Which means that we are a great club, that we are in a great place, and we are very desirable,” Borrell assured. “Having said that, obviously, I went through the process, which has a lot of detail, and to me, it was clear that Nico was the person that we had to hire.”
It’s a shame that Borrell is not a natural-born U.S. citizen, because that kind of big talk can get you elected president these days. And to anyone who might have been tempted to claim that “Nico Estévez” doesn’t qualify as a name that you couldn’t believe, just say it out loud to yourself a few times. Now slow it down. Now speed it up. As far as names go, it’s pretty friggin’ unbelievable!
Despite the hostile line of questioning, Estévez generously threw some meat to the dogs in the form of a few nuggets of interesting info. Among them: He spoke to Wolff on multiple occasions as he progressed through Austin FC’s interview process. He maintains a splendid relationship with ATX winger Jáder Obrian, whom he coached in Frisco, despite FC Dallas declining Obrian’s 2024 contract option under his watch. And his experience coaching in the Texas heat was apparently of tremendous appeal to Borrell in the interview process. But those by no means justify the disgraceful scene that took place in the Lexus Club.
Borrell made it crystal clear: For Austin FC to be successful, everyone needs to be on board. That means coaches, players, fans, and especially local media. We all need to toe the company line, accentuate the positive, and keep the negativity in the past and the past and the past and the past.
When Austin FC loses a game – which may never happen under Estévez, for all we know – let’s focus on what the team did well, rather than on what mistakes led to the unfortunate result. When players play poorly – again, purely hypothetical at this point – we must show them grace and remind them how amazing they really are. And more than anything, when the club’s front office makes a questionable decision – a literal impossibility, but just for the sake of argument – we must simply trust in Rodolfo Borrell, Sage of Soccer, Maestro of Fútbol, Savior of Austin FC. ¡Listos!
The Verde Report is going on its usual sabbatical until next season, or news breaks. Follow @Goodman in the meantime.
This article appears in November 1 • 2024.
