Former Argentina Teammates Demichelis and Pizarro to Clash as Coaches in Clásico Regio

This Saturday’s Clásico Regio will feature a unique subplot as two former Argentina internationals meet again—this time as rival coaches. Martín Demichelis and Guido Pizarro, who once shared national team call-ups, will lead Monterrey and Tigres, respectively, in a match loaded with history and importance in the 2025 Clausura.

Though Demichelis is more closely associated with the Albiceleste due to his long tenure as a defender, Pizarro also received national team nods, including call-ups under coach Edgardo Bauza in 2016. The two were part of the same squad for World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay, but they never actually played together in the same match.

Pizarro eventually made his Argentina debut in March 2017 against Bolivia, playing the full 90 minutes. By then, Demichelis had retired from international duty and would end his playing career later that year.

Interestingly, Demichelis did share the pitch with Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán in friendlies between 2014 and 2015. However, in official tournaments, they did not coincide on the field.

In their last meeting, Pizarro and Guzmán were still playing for Tigres when they faced Demichelis’s Monterrey. Now, the showdown takes on a new dynamic, as two Argentine coaches—linked by national team pasts—square off in one of Liga MX’s most intense rivalries. The Clásico Regio 140 promises drama, strategy, and another layer of Argentine connection.