Upon his appointment, many fans questioned that it was not the change they expected, while others gave him the benefit of the doubt because they know the organization.
Alejandro Irarragorri Kalb became president of Santos in replacement of Dante Elizalde. Better known as ‘Aleco’ by his family and closest friends, the 24-year-old manager is also the youngest president in the history of Liga MX.
Doubts about his age immediately resonated on social networks. Many fans of the Santista club considered that it was not the change they expected, while others gave him the benefit of the doubt because he knows the organization from its core and at all stages.
‘Aleco’ is the son of Alejandro Irarragorri, president of the Board of Directors of Grupo Orlegi, the company to which the La Laguna club belongs, and has always been very present in the decisions his father made to build one of the most solid groups in the world. Mexican soccer. However, not many know Irrarragorri calfwho immediately took over.
“I am blessed to be your father and fortunate to witness your growth, determination and courage. Today you assume the role of President of Club Santos, where you have spent 3/4 of your life. I know that you will transmit your passion for serving and through our people you will deeply reconnect with our great green and white fans. You are a true Warrior! (sic)”, Alejandro Irarragorri wrote on his X account, formerly Twitter.
How did Aleco Irarragorri become president of Santos?
‘Aleco’ came to Keep at the age of six and was trained as another ‘Warrior’ because his father invested everything in the picture of the Lagunera Region. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Las Américas and later obtained a Diploma of Education, Fundamentals of Global Sports Management at New York University. Additionally, at LaLiga Business School he obtained a master’s degree in Sports Marketing.
His experience in the world of football began only in 2017, when he was 17 years old. At Santos he had temporary positions in various areas of the club such as Strategy and Logistics, as well as Marketing, where he began to see some parts of the business.
Then he went to Europe and He had an internship at Celtic Glasgow in Scotland in 2019where he was in several areas, especially to seek the best results for the club in the market. Later, for 2022, he had an internship in the Digital Marketing area of Atlético de Madrid lasting seven months.
Finally, since 2021 he served as Corporate Strategy Associate at Orlegi Sports, a position he held for the last three years until this Thursday he was officially named president of Santos.
Youngest soccer presidents in the world
In 2019, the Argentine Franco Caselli, only 24 years old, became the president of the Burgos of the Second Division of Spain, this after his family bought the club, so they sent his son to take the reins of the organization.
In 2022, at just 18 years old, Blai Moliner became president of the Girona de Maià de Montalt of the Fourth Division of Spain. In 2018, in Argentina, 26-year-old Javier Méndez Cartier became president of the Excursionistas club that currently plays in the Primera B Metropolitana of that country.
Meanwhile, the Chinese businessman Steven Zhang became the president of Inter Milan in 2018, and at only 28 years old, when his father’s company, Suning Holdings Groups, took over the team just two years earlier, in 2016. Without However, he had to sell the club for debt years later, in 2023.
The youngest presidents in Mexico
On the other hand, at the time, in Mexico, Jesús Martínez Murguía took the reins of León when he was 25 years old in 2010, which was when his father, Jesús Martínez, bought the Bajío club and added it to the Grupo Pachuca family.
In 2011 and at 27 years oldJorgealberto Hank Inzunza became the owner of the newly created Tijuana Xolosa team that he led to his first title at the age of 28, when they won the 2012 Apertura final against Toluca.
At 27 years old, Fidel Kuri Mustieles, son of Fidel Kuri Grajales, became president of the extinct Veracruz Red Sharks and of the Albinegros de Orizaba when his father sought political office in 2015.
One of the most famous was Emilio Azcárraga Jean, who is the president of America. The Mexican businessman took command of the Águilas when his father, Emilio Azcárraga Milmodied in 1997. At that time he was only 29 years old and also raised many doubts about what he could do with one of the most popular clubs in Mexico.
