Jorge Bernardo Griffa, inescapable symbol of Newells Old Boys of Rosario and the training of talents in the youth divisions, died at the age of 88as confirmed by the “Leprosa” institution.
Through a brief statement, the Parque de la Independencia entity reported this afternoon the death of an emblem that began its work in the club, back in the ’70s.
“We deeply regret the death of Jorge Bernardo Griffa. The Maestro, undisputed symbol of Newell’s, was a player, youth coach and the creator of the leper hotbed that gave enormous figures to the world”indicated the Rosario institution.
“Your legacy will always be part of our history, may you rest in peace”concluded the text.
Griffa, who also served as coordinator of the youth football department at Independiente and Boca Juniors, detected first of all a good part of the footballers who later shone in the Argentine national team.
In this way it can be clearly inferred that the “Master” discovered, among others, Américo Gallego, Jorge Valdano, Ricardo Giusti, Gabriel Batistuta, Néstor Sensini, Fernando Gamboa, Mauricio Pochettino, Ever Banega, Fernando Gago and Carlos Tevez.
As a player, he began his career in the First Division in the Rosario entity in 1954 and it lasted until 1959, when he was transferred to the Spanish Atlético de Madrid, an institution in which he developed an extensive career and remained until 1969.
Griffa, who was born in the city of Casilda in May 1935, continued in Spanish soccer as a soccer player and concluded his career at Espanyol de Barcelona in 1971.
Already in the mid-70s, the technical director began his career in the training divisions of Newell’s, where he “truly” deployed a teaching role, while providing young players with the knowledge necessary to develop the activity. sporty.
There, in the Parque de la Independencia entity, he cultivated a friendship with Marcelo Bielsawhom he encouraged to dedicate himself to technical direction, at the end of the ’80s.
“Come to work with me and we’ll see how far you can go. You need to have a group of guys chosen and worked on by you and that will be the team of the future,” Griffa told Bielsa, in a note reproduced by El Grafico Magazine.
“In those years we looked for kids around the country and that fourth special was put together that later was the basis of the champion team of ’91 and ’92”Griffa related opportunely.
In the mid-’90s, and under the presidency of Mauricio Macri, the talent trainer went to Boca Juniors, where – in addition to Tevez and Gago – he also discovered players like Sebastián Battaglia, Christian Giménez and Alfredo Moreno, among others.
Batistuta, second all-time top scorer for the Argentine national team, dedicated some heartfelt words to him: “Thank you Maestro for always believing in me, even when I myself doubted. My accompaniment to your family and loved ones. RIP Jorge Griffa always in my heart.”
For his part, Battaglia, Boca Juniors’ top title winner, referred to the death and posted: “Goodbye Maestro Jorge Bernardo Griffa. RIP.”
The former Newell’s striker in the ’80s, Jorge Gabrich, wrote: “RIP Jorge Griffa. Excellent person, he was technical director and almost a father to those of us who were from the interior in the club’s pension”he acknowledged.
Newells’ farewell
Source: Ambito
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