Few strikers have bridged eras and philosophies quite like Hernan Crespo, the Argentine who thrived under football’s finest minds. From Carlo Ancelotti’s calm mentorship at Parma and AC Milan to Jose Mourinho’s fiery motivation at Chelsea and Inter, Crespo experienced both tenderness and tenacity in leadership. Now a coach himself, he blends these lessons and teachings with empathy, pushing with passion, and inspiring with precision.
A legend shaped by great minds
Crespo’s name evokes an era of elegance, intelligence, and lethal precision in front of goal. With approximately 163 appearances and 93 goals across competitions which includes 125 Serie A matches and 76 goals, he was a master of movement and efficiency. A natural-born finisher, Crespo thrived wherever he played – River Plate, Parma, Lazio, Chelsea, Milan, or Inter. But behind the goals stood something deeper: his evolution under two contrasting masters of the game – Ancelotti and Mourinho. Reflecting on his journey, Crespo said: “Ancelotti was like a father to me when I arrived in Italy. Mourinho? An extraordinary motivator. No one gets into players’ heads like he does.” Both managers shaped him, one through warmth and wisdom, the other through challenge and conviction.
AdvertisementAFP When Crespo met Ancelotti and Mourinho
Crespo’s reflections on his former coaches reveal the essence of leadership in football. Ancelotti, who guided him during his formative years at Parma, became his moral and tactical compass. In contrast, Mourinho, whom he worked with at Chelsea and later at Inter, transformed his mentality. With Crespo now being at the helm of Sau Paulo, the Argentine speaks about what it's like being a coach.
"A player, generally speaking, thinks of himself and his own well-being. A coach has to think of a group of twenty-five or thirty people. What do you think is the hardest job? I always use the example of a school teacher who is responsible for teaching an entire class. I feel the same way when I lead a training session," said Crespo in an interview with
The 50-year-old, talking about his points of reference to coaching, said: "As for the coaching profession, I'll name three: Ancelotti, Mourinho, and Bielsa. Carlo was like a father to me when I arrived in Italy in 1996. I was twenty-one, and I learned everything from him. Mourinho is an extraordinary motivator, as I experienced at Chelsea. No one gets into players' heads like he does. And Bielsa is a visionary: he knows how to look beyond the present, he knows how to interpret football in a modern way. I take inspiration from them, but I know I'll never match their successes. But I've also achieved something on the bench… In Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, I've achieved satisfaction and success."
Crespo's football journey: As a player and a coach
From River Plate’s Copa Libertadores triumph in 1996 to world-record transfers and multiple league titles, Crespo’s journey was nothing short of stellar. Under Ancelotti at Parma, he matured into a complete striker, winning the UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana in 1999. His world-record move to Lazio in 2000 brought him the Serie A top scorer title with 26 goals. Later, under Mourinho at Chelsea, Crespo found success again, lifting the Premier League and Community Shield in 2005-06. Even during his loan at Milan, Ancelotti’s trust helped him score twice in the unforgettable 2005 Champions League final. Across Europe, Crespo’s game embodied versatility, consistency, and poise, achieving over 300 career goals and earning recognition as one of the most intelligent strikers of his generation.
Crespo’s transition from striker to strategist has been marked by the same intelligence and drive that defined his playing days. Beginning with Parma’s youth side in 2014 and later Modena in Serie B, he rose to prominence with Brazilian side Defensa y Justicia, guiding them to a historic Copa Sudamericana win in 2020. Success followed him to Sao Paulo, where he ended their decade-long title drought with the 2021 Campeonato Paulista, and later to Al-Duhail in Qatar, securing a domestic treble in 2022-23. In 2024, Crespo became the first Argentine coach to win the AFC Champions League with Al Ain, before returning to Sao Paulo in 2025.
Getty Images SportCrespo from scoring goals to shaping minds
Now on the touchline for Sao Paulo, Crespo brings those same lessons to life. As a coach, he often compares his role to a teacher’s, guiding a classroom of players, each with unique strengths and struggles. “A player thinks about himself. A coach must think about thirty,” he explained. His managerial philosophy draws from Ancelotti’s empathy, Mourinho’s motivation, and Bielsa’s vision. Having led clubs in Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, and the UAE, Crespo blends emotional intelligence with tactical innovation, pushing his teams to think, not just play. His dream? “To coach a European team, maybe in Italy. It would be the closing of the circle.” As he continues this new chapter, Crespo remains the bridge between generations, the striker who learned from the best and now seeks to become one of them.