Ricardo “Negro” Rodríguez, a former defender and longtime coach in Argentine football, died on Wednesday in Buenos Aires at the age of 72. He played for clubs including All Boys and San Lorenzo and had a spell at Atlético Madrid, but he is remembered most warmly for his three spells in charge of All Boys and his time at Atlético Tucumán.
A defender with good technique
Born in Buenos Aires in 1954, Rodríguez was a centre-back who was comfortable with the ball at his feet. He started his career at San Lorenzo, the club he described himself as a fan of, and later moved through a long list of Argentine sides, among them All Boys, Almagro, Banfield, Estudiantes de Buenos Aires and Arsenal. He also played abroad, at Atlético Madrid and Colombia’s Atlético Bucaramanga, and was once called up to an Argentina Under-20 training squad.
A record at All Boys
His coaching career began at All Boys, where he returned on three separate occasions, the first in 1997. He became the third-longest-serving coach in the club’s history in terms of matches managed. He also holds a unique distinction at the Floresta club: together with José Romero, he is one of only two men to have coached All Boys in three different divisions of Argentine football.
His last stint at the club came in the 2013/14 season. He began it with a 2-0 win over Boca Juniors at La Bombonera, and his final game in charge was a match against Belgrano on 16 May 2014.
Success in Tucumán
Rodríguez also left a strong mark at Atlético Tucumán. He took charge of the club in July 2012, when it was in the second tier, and stayed until November 2013. In that time he managed 56 official matches and kept the team in contention at the top of the table. On 6 March 2013, under his guidance, Atlético Tucumán beat their local rivals San Martín de Tucumán 3-1 in the Copa Argentina.
He built a close bond with the province and lived there for many years. After leaving the Decano, he coached in the Liga Tucumana de Fútbol, with Central Norte in 2020 and 2021, Juventud Unida de Tafí Viejo in 2022 and Sportivo Guzmán in 2023.
A career across the continent
His other coaching posts included Platense, Defensa y Justicia, Racing de Córdoba, Los Andes, Talleres de Remedio de Escalada, Deportivo Laferrere, Independiente Rivadavia and Mexico’s Atlante. His last job was at El Porvenir in 2025.
Tributes from his former clubs
All Boys expressed its deep sorrow, recalling that Rodríguez wore its shirt as a player between 1976 and 1978 and went on to a long career as a coach. Atlético Tucumán also paid tribute, remembering him affectionately as “RR” and as a coach who was loved and respected and left a special mark on the club. Both clubs offered their condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.
Source: www.lanacion.com.ar
