- The striker, who had previously featured in the competition with Rosario Central and Patronato, scored a superb goal in the 3-0 victory over Nacional.
- His father coached Boca to the 2007 CONMEBOL Libertadores title, the club’s most recent triumph in the competition.
Ignacio Russo was part of Rosario Central’s squad for the 2021 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, although he did not play, and featured for just one minute with Patronato in the 2023 edition after the Entre Ríos club dropped into the competition from that year’s CONMEBOL Libertadores. In the latter tournament, he registered one assist in 241 minutes across four appearances. In other words, ‘Nacho’ Russo had never scored in an international club competition.
That changed in the current edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. He scored twice in Tigre’s first four Group A matches, opening his account in the 1-1 draw away to Alianza Atlético in Peru before finding the net again in the 2-0 home victory over América de Cali. Now, in the knockout stage, he has created an unforgettable memory on a perfect night for his team. El Matador beat Nacional 3-0 at the Gran Parque Central in the Round of 16 play-offs, with Russo scoring the second goal with an unstoppable long-range strike.
Ignacio Ezequiel Russo Cordero’s is a special story. The 25-year-old, who was born in Rosario and came through Central’s youth academy, is the son of Miguel Ángel Russo, the last coach to lead Boca to the CONMEBOL Libertadores title, in 2007.
‘Nacho’ Russo, who played for Chacarita, Patronato and Instituto after leaving Central, blew a kiss towards the sky after turning the ball into the net in Tigre’s 1-1 draw with Alianza Atlético in Peru. “His birthday is coming up, so that was for him. I know he is always with me. We have to keep pushing, as always,” Nacho said after the match. Miguel Ángel Russo, who died on 8 October 2025 while serving as Boca head coach, would have turned 70 on 9 April.
This Tigre side competing in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana — whose best-ever campaign came in 2012, when they finished runners-up to Brazil’s São Paulo — are coached by Diego Dabove. It was Miguel Ángel Russo who gave him his first opportunity as an assistant coach at Los Andes, a club in Argentina’s lower divisions, in 2000. That is why Dabove regards him as a “footballing father”.
When goalkeeper Dabove retired at the age of 27 because of a shoulder injury, Russo, who had coached him in Lanús’ youth ranks between the ages of 16 and 21, offered him a role as his assistant at Los Andes. “I quickly focused on that, and it changed my life. Of all the people I worked with, Russo had the greatest influence on me. He passed on his passion for the profession,” Dabove said in an interview with Argentine newspaper Clarín.
Today, Dabove coaches ‘Nacho’ Russo, Miguel’s son. The striker, who has formed an excellent attacking partnership with David Romero — scorer of both goals in the 2-2 draw away to Macará in Ecuador and absent against Nacional — is fuelling Tigre’s dream in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana with his goals. He has recorded 18 goals and nine assists in 64 appearances for El Matador de Victoria.
Just as his father forged his own path across South America — coaching Universidad de Chile, Colombia’s Millonarios, Peru’s Alianza Lima and Paraguay’s Cerro Porteño — his son is now carving out a journey of his own.
