Sebastián Beccacece · Biography

Sebastián Beccacece took charge of his first competitive match as a head coach on 17 January 2016, on the opening day of the Chilean Clausura. His Universidad de Chile side drew 1-1 away at Deportes Antofagasta. He was born in Rosario, Argentina, on 17 December 1980, and he reached that dugout after more than ten years as Jorge Sampaoli’s assistant. He later had three spells at Defensa y Justicia, as well as spells at Independiente, Racing Club, Elche and the Ecuador national team.

Early years and work as an assistant

He played amateur football as a right-back but gave it up early to train as a coach. His first job was in the youth ranks of Club Renato Cesarini, where he ran the 1989 and 1990 age groups. At 22 he moved to Peru to join Sampaoli’s staff. He worked with him at Sport Boys, Coronel Bolognesi and Sporting Cristal, and then at O’Higgins in Chile until mid-2009. Next came Emelec in 2010 and Universidad de Chile, where that staff won the 2011 Apertura and Clausura, the 2011 Copa Sudamericana and the 2012 Apertura.

With Chile and Argentina

When Sampaoli took over the Chile national team in December 2012, Beccacece became his assistant. Chile reached the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and won the 2015 Copa América a year later. He left the post in November 2015 to start working as a head coach. In 2017 he rejoined Sampaoli, this time with Argentina, and was part of the staff at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Argentina lost 4-3 to France in the round of 16.

Universidad de Chile and a first spell at Defensa y Justicia

Universidad de Chile confirmed his appointment on 11 January 2016. The team finished tenth in that year’s Clausura, and his time at the club ended in September 2016 after 25 matches: 5 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats. On 16 November 2016 Defensa y Justicia unveiled him as the successor to Ariel Holan. His first game, on 28 November, was a 2-1 loss to Patronato, but the club from Florencio Varela qualified for the 2017 Copa Sudamericana. That first spell ended in 2017, when he joined Sampaoli’s staff with Argentina.

Runners-up with Defensa and a stint at Independiente

He returned to Defensa y Justicia after the 2018 World Cup. In the 2018-19 Superliga the team finished second, four points behind champions Racing, and earned the club’s first Copa Libertadores qualification. He announced in May 2019 that he would not stay on. Independiente hired him on 7 June 2019. He took charge of 16 games, winning 8, drawing one and losing 7, and resigned on 26 October that year.

Racing Club and the Recopa Sudamericana

Racing chose him in late 2019 to replace Eduardo Coudet. In the 2020 Copa Libertadores the team finished second in its group, knocked out Flamengo on penalties in the round of 16 and lost to Boca Juniors in the quarter-finals. On 26 December 2020 he announced that he would leave, a decision tied to the exit of sporting director Diego Milito after the club’s elections. His Racing record was 26 games: 11 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats. On 15 February 2021 he returned to Defensa y Justicia for a third time, shortly after the club had won the 2020 Copa Sudamericana. In April the side won the 2021 Recopa Sudamericana against Palmeiras. They lost the first leg 2-1 on the 7th, then won the second leg 2-1 after extra time in Brasília on the 14th. They took the shootout 4-3. He stepped down on 11 September 2022.

Elche

Elche appointed him on 21 March 2023, with the team deep in the relegation zone of the Spanish top flight. Relegation to the Spanish second division was confirmed on 2 May 2023 by a 2-1 defeat away at Almería. He stayed in charge for the 2023-24 second-division season. On 26 May 2024 a 1-2 defeat ended the club’s hopes of reaching the promotion play-offs, and he announced that he would leave at the end of the campaign.

Ecuador head coach

The Ecuadorian Football Federation named him head coach on 1 August 2024. Ecuador had begun South American qualifying with a three-point deduction over the Byron Castillo case. Even so, the team finished second and secured its World Cup place with two rounds to spare, relying on a solid defence. At the 2026 World Cup Ecuador finished third in Group E after a 2-1 win over Germany in the match that closed the group stage, and went through as one of the eight best third-placed teams. In the round of 32 they lost 2-0 to Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on 30 June 2026. Beccacece announced his departure in the early hours of 1 July 2026, and the federation brought his tenure to a close.