Benito Montalvo played as a footballer in his native Argentina, then in Paraguay, Latvia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Spain. He saw much more of the world as an analyst and trainer from 2015, he worked on different continents, in different countries. He is currently an assistant coach in Indian club Hyderabad FC, where he found himself in December 2020 after working six months as head coach of the Espanyol academy in Helsinki. He plans to return to Latvia and continue following the growth of latvian football and contribute in what he will be able. The rest – he told himself.
Rafał Kobza (Bałtycki futbol): How are you doing? Where do you live now, what is your job?
Benito Montalvo: I am really good, enjoying my present in Indian Super League, in Hyderabad FC as assistant coach of Manolo Márquez, a great Spanish coach with the philosophy not only to make a good team in India with clear principles but mainly to grow Indian players at all levels with the staff and the encouragement of foreigners that are great example for them. Before I was coach, analyst and sport director in Marcet Academy, then had been last year as a head coach in RCD Espanyol Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Then got the call for India. I am UEFA A and B coach, analyst, football coordinator licensed. I am living for the season in Goa, India with all the staff and players in a hotel as all the other clubs from the league as in a bubble without contact with the outside, we make covid test every three days and the protocol is very strict for everybody involved in the league. After the season finished in March will go to Rīga, Latvia where we live with my wife, that I met when I was a football player in FC Jurmala in the year 2013.
How actually did you get to the Latvia as footballer?
I played in 1st division in Argentina and Paraguay. Later I was in Rumania going to play in first division in Universitatea Club, the club got banned to register foreigners and I needed to look for new club or come back to Argentina. An Argentinean agent got me the opportunity in Latvia with other 5 Argentineans (Nicolas Abot, Nahuel Guerrero, Kevin Gissi, Lucas Trecarichi and Daniel Romero), 1 Catalan (Juanma Sanchez), 1 Uruguayan (Diego Silva) and 1 Paraguayan (Orlando Bordon). I decided to take it.
How did you like Jūrmala as a city, and your football team?
Jurmala is a beautiful city as Rīga, I like Latvia very much, has a combination of nature and urbanisation with interesting architecture and social life. The team was very good but the management was very unstable.
What are your memories from FC Jūrmala?
I prefer not speaking about FC Jurmala, was not a good experience, this is why I want to contribute to Latvian football in anything I can, so others won’t need to suffered what we did. I will like to look in the present that I see already improvements in professionalism but I think the main is to start in youth football development where I see a great potential with the right coaching and investment thinking in small steps not measuring by results but by experiences of football players get.
You are from Argentina, where football is very important sport. You have played there and in Latvia. What football differences can you see between both countries?
The football in Argentina is the main sport, you can find a football field in every corner of the country, people are very passionate, in every bar you can find people that is talking about football, the culture of football is huge and in Latvia is the 2nd or 3rd sport in importance, I played games with 30.000 people in the stadium and in Latvia in a match were less than 100 people, the competitive mind is very important for football and in Latvia need to encourage more the players but you don’t feel the pressure from fans and parents that is a big advantage. In Latvia can think in long term because the sport results are not so important while in Argentina, every 5 games can change the coach and the process are very short many times so that instability avoid growing more football. In Latvia there are not big infrastructure and is difficult to keep the clubs in good shape because sponsorship is less that’s why I think that focusing in grassroots and right coaching will develop fast Latvian football. Argentinean is more based in technical and tactical skills and individualities, Latvian football is more physical, more organized tactically.
What would you like to change in latvian juniors’ minds as a potentially future trainer?
I think that they need to be motivated with good coaching specially in teenagers ages where the will is less because of distractions and lack of opportunities to get to professionalism, then the mentality is less competitive and without ambition to improve.
What are your goals for the future?
My goals are to continue learning everyday with the same passion in football and coaching, to contribute in football development in every country I step with an objective view always focusing on the best for clubs and players growth in professionalism or youth football.
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