Solari owns Pumas' loss to Atletico San Luis: "I'm the main one responsible"

Another loss, another coach who refused to dodge the blame. Esteban Solari walked into his press conference after Pumas' defeat to Atletico San Luis and, instead of pointing fingers elsewhere, put himself at the front of the line. "I'm the main one responsible," he said flatly, in a locker room going through a rough stretch of the Apertura 2026.

What's striking is that the plan, according to the coach himself, wasn't supposed to unfold this way. Pumas had gone into the match convinced they'd walk away with all three points at home. That didn't happen. And that's where Solari starts building his explanation: it wasn't a lack of intent, it was a lack of the execution needed to hold onto that game plan once the opponent pushed back.

This is a tough moment for us. In our minds, this was a game that was supposed to go differently, and we figured those three points would stay at home. I'm the main one responsible, and if we don't bring the soccer needed to get the points, that's on me. You have to own itEsteban Solari

There's a pattern bothering the Argentine coach: every time the opponent gets near the box, it turns into a penalty or a shot with real danger of a goal. He didn't sugarcoat it: they're defending poorly. And he made a point of dialing down the referee controversy, noting he even spoke with the official after the final whistle: the issue wasn't the penalties called, not even the one against his own team. "Soccer is full of things like that," he said, sounding like someone who's already seen it all in this line of work.

Self-criticism and a bit of resilience

Solari went beyond just the final score. He acknowledged his team could have done a lot more and that the match got harder than expected. His read was clear: at what should have been the team's best stretch, the same script from the first half repeated itself, and after that it was tough to recover. For him, that's the key: becoming "a team of men who work, who take ownership of what happens," starting with himself and extending to the players, because, he admitted, a lot more is needed.

The coach only answered two questions in the press room, something explained by the fear of saying something he shouldn't in the middle of such a sensitive moment for the club. Even so, he didn't hide what he feels inside when results don't go his way.

We coaches, when we lose, we're wrecked, it hurts us a lot. I feel it deeply and I live it with a lot of passion. At one point I felt like I was too worked up to even say anything to the referee, but these are tough moments when you don't get what you wantEsteban Solari

He also touched on the tactical side: the idea of pressing in the midfield and winning the ball back quickly, and how a specific defensive breakdown, with the penalty involved, ended up costing them on the scoreboard. Despite it all, he insisted his character doesn't change with bad results.

"As a coach it's frustrating, and I'm a very optimistic guy. I'm confident we'll get out of this situation, and we need to keep our heads up for what's coming," Solari said in closing, pointing also to something that could give him a hand in the coming weeks: the return of the players who were away on national team duty. For the coach, the club deserves a lot more than what the team is delivering at this start of the tournament.