From Olympic player to world champion as a coach: the story of Fernando Ferrara, the man who spent more than two decades in Europe and returned to lead Las Leonas to their third star
Fernando Ferrara has firmly established himself among the great coaches in the history of Las Leonas. The Argentine national team was crowned champion of the 2026 World Cup in Amstelveen after defeating the Netherlands 3-1 in the shootouts, following a 1-1 tie in regulation time. This was Argentina's third world title, after Perth 2002 and Rosario 2010, and the first under the leadership of the coach who took over the senior team in 2021.
Behind that title is a life almost entirely devoted to hockey. Fernando Gabriel Ferrara Tripodi was born on July 24, 1968, and grew up at the Club Ciudad de Buenos Aires, “Muni,” an institution to which his family has been linked for generations. At the age of 15, he was already combining two roles: playing in the fifth division and coaching the seventh.
The Years in Italy and Training Development
The European experience fully transformed Ferrara into a coach. In 2001, he completed the course from the Argentine Hockey Confederation, and between 2007 and 2015, he led the Italian women's national team for eight seasons. Working with a team that had to compete against the top powers deepened his tactical training and attention to detail.
His playing philosophy became clear when he took over Las Leonas. “I like to develop offensive and aggressive teams that dominate the opponent,” he explained in 2021, describing a dynamic system with possession and fast attacks. He also left a phrase that summarizes his leadership: “First the people, then the players”.
The Return to Argentina and the Triumph with Las Leonas
Before taking charge of the senior national team, Ferrara coached Las Leoncitas and worked as an assistant for Las Leonas. In October 2021, the Argentine Hockey Confederation chose him to replace Carlos Retegui after the silver medal won in Tokyo. The challenge was to maintain a team used to fighting for titles while also promoting a generational change.
The results came quickly. In 2022, he won the Pan American Cup and the FIH Pro League, and that same year reached the final of the World Cup in Spain and the Netherlands, where Argentina won silver. Two years later, he led the team to bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and in 2025 reclaimed the Pan American Cup.
The 2026 World Cup completed the circle. Las Leonas reached the final undefeated and, against the Netherlands, came back from a deficit with a goal from María José Granatto before winning in the penalty shootout, with Cristina Cosentino as the standout player. At 58 years old, that boy who started coaching while still playing in the youth teams of Ciudad led Argentina to its third world star and achieved the greatest title of his career as a coach.
