Real Sociedad chairman consulted AI before appointing American boss Pellegrino Matarazzo

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Martin Macdonald | Writer

Content writer covering football, formula 1 and movies

New Jersey native Pellegrino Matarazzo has transformed the fortunes of Real Sociedad.

The American has only been in charge of La Real since January, when Sergio Francisco was sacked with the club down in 16th in La Liga.

Since then, the Basque giants have lost just three times in 19 matches and all of those losses came against teams in the top four in the Spanish top tier. They have gone from relegation candidates to being in contention for European qualification, in seventh.

The crowning moment of Matarazzo's Real Sociedad career has come early, too, as he recently became the first American head coach to win a major trophy with a club within the top five leagues in Europe as La Real won the Copa del Rey against Atletico Madrid in dramatic fashion.

They scored the fastest goal in Copa del Rey final history, after 14 seconds, and although they were twice pegged back by Atleti to see the result remain at 2-2 after 90 minutes, they won on penalties.

It was only Real Sociedad's fourth Copa del Rey title and seventh major trophy, along with their two LaLiga championships and one Supercopa.

The celebrations in San Sebastián have been enormous, with over 100,000 fans taking to the streets to see the trophy and the players take a tour of the city.

Ignoring AI

Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has confirmed that he actually consulted AI as to whether Matarazzo would be a good appointment.

Thankfully for the club, he ignored the advice of the robot and followed that of sporting director Erik Bretos.

“Erik told me Matarazzo, and I asked the AI ​​if he was a good coach for Real Sociedad; it said no,” Aperribay explained to radio station Cadena Ser.

“Thank goodness I trusted Erik!

“I didn’t know him (Matarazzo), and in our first meeting, I was impressed because he knew everything about everyone. He had an amazing analysis of Real Sociedad.”

One team. One crowd. One Cup. And a celebration that’s now part of tradition. 🏆#GUazenREALA pic.twitter.com/5Tdc8Mozzu

— Real Sociedad 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 (@RealSociedadEN) April 20, 2026

Who is Pellegrino Matarazzo?

Despite having previously coached Stuttgart and Hoffenhaim in the German Bundesliga, Matarazzo remains a somewhat underrated figure in the United States, largely because his entire professional football career has taken place overseas. Though raised in a Napoli-supporting household, his Italian journey began with rejection; after graduating from Columbia University, he failed to land a contract with clubs in Italy. He spent a year working on his grandparents' farm near Naples, refusing to abandon his footballing ambitions before eventually carving out a playing career in the German lower leagues.

His transition into coaching saw him rise through Nuremberg’s youth academy and form a pivotal connection with Julian Nagelsmann. The two roomed together while completing their coaching badges, a bond that eventually saw Matarazzo follow the future German national team boss to Hoffenheim. By late 2019, Matarazzo earned his first major head coaching role at VfB Stuttgart, securing their promotion back to the Bundesliga and leading them to an impressive ninth-place finish in their first season back. However, the momentum eventually stalled, and he was dismissed in late 2022 following a difficult winless run.

A return to Hoffenheim in early 2023 tested his resilience further. After losing his first five matches and sliding to the bottom of the table, Matarazzo orchestrated a vital escape from relegation. He built on that survival by guiding the club to a seventh-place finish and Europa League qualification the following year, though a poor start to the 2024/25 season resulted in another mid-season exit. Throughout these fluctuations, his reputation has been built less on rigid tactical theory and more on his exceptional ability to connect with players. A gifted linguist fluent in English, German, and Italian—and currently learning Spanish—he relies on his personable nature to win the locker room.

Now, as the first American to manage in La Liga, Matarazzo has achieved near-instant legendary status at Real Sociedad.

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