According to Globo Esporte Futebol, Estudiantes' 1-0 victory over Corinthians has secured the Argentine team's place in the Conmebol Libertadores semifinals. This achievement marks a significant milestone for coach Alexander Medina, who has led the team to a semifinal spot four years after guiding Vélez Sarsfield to the same stage in 2022. Medina's recovery from a tumultuous stint at Internacional in 2022 has been consolidated by this impressive performance.
Medina's experience in Brazil was brief but marked by controversy. He was appointed as Internacional's coach in 2022, following the departure of Diego Aguirre. However, his tenure was marred by poor results, including a 2-0 defeat to Globo-RN in the Copa do Brasil. Despite this, Medina was retained as coach, with president Alessandro Barcellos citing his Wikipedia research as justification for the decision. Medina's time at Internacional ultimately came to an end on April 15, 2022, after a 1-1 draw with Guaireña in the Sul-Americana.
Since then, Medina has gone on to coach Vélez, leading the team to the semifinals of the Libertadores in 2022. Now, with Estudiantes, he has achieved a similar feat, securing a semifinal spot four years after his initial success with Vélez. The Estudiantes team, which has a rich history of continental success, including four titles, will look to build on this momentum as they progress in the competition.
The semifinal stage of the Libertadores will see Estudiantes face off against a yet-to-be-determined opponent, with the team holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg against Independiente del Valle.