Pellegrino Matarazzo seems to be reigniting excitement around Real Sociedad. But how long will this enthusiasm last if the team can’t meet its targets? And what are the tactics that the new manager has implemented?
It’s easy to fall in love with Real Sociedad. It’s a smallish club punching above its weight, one that famously signs its majority of players from the nearby Basque region and one expected to play spectacular football.
I’ve been writing football tactics articles for over a decade. Here’s where I think Matarazzo’s tactics will lead Sociedad.
Career Prior to Managing
Imanol Alguacil decided in 2025 not to renew his contract with Real Sociedad. What was the reason? He was exhausted, and the team’s profile in recent years has grown, creating a new set of expectations.
What exactly recommended Matarazzo for this coveted job?
Pellegrino Matarazzo was born into an Italian family of Napoli supporters in New Jersey, USA. Frankly, until recently, the US hasn’t been the place you most associate with world-class management. Still, things are changing.
Matarazzo moved to Germany as a teen and played for a number of lower-tier clubs. He then worked within FC Nürnberg’s academy before earning the managerial position with VfB Stuttgart and, in 2023, TSG Hoffenheim, two of the bigger names in the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim finished in a respectable seventh place at the end of that season.
In April 2026, Matarazzo delivered Sociedad’s first trophy in 40 years, the Copa del Rey.
Tactical Philosophy
Real Sociedad is a beloved team, within and outside the Basque region, and its football has a clear identity. That style involves, ideally, free-flowing, imaginative, possession-based football.
So, does this fit with Matarazzo’s tactical philosophy?
On paper, this is not a bad match. Pellegrino Matarazzo likes his teams to press aggressively, build up in a structured manner, and favours quick counterattacks.
Most importantly, Matarazzo has always looked like a manager ready to adapt to circumstances and to opponents. For a team that needs to raise its level to meet that of teams like FC Barcelona or Real Madrid, that’s a requirement.
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Formations and Adaptability
Unlike the majority of managers who are rooted to one formation, Matarazzo is known to react, mostly, to what his opponents are likely to do.
In the Bundesliga, he’s almost always played a back three with two wide midfielders. However, he’s used a 3-5-2, 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 at different times.
What about Real Sociedad in the 2026/27 season? He’s opted to be more conservative here. The team’s formation has switched between the classics, 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2.
And what have the results been? Average so far. Early victories against teams like Espanyol and Elche have been accompanied by defeats in more important games against Atletico Madrid or Bournemouth in the UEL.
Real Sociedad in Defence
The defensive system is the most important element of Matarazzo’s tactics used for Real Sociedad. In essence, the manager wants his players to use advanced, aggressive pressing that will then encourage quick turnovers.
Typically, they’ll press in a 4-4-2 system. The pressing starts with the forwards. The central area of the pitch is crowded. The two wide defenders offer stability on the flanks.
This is not always a case of gegenpressing, of wearing the opposition out through constant pressure. No, depending on the opponents, Matarazzo will alter the defensive style. Often, the team will include pressing triggers based on opponents’ weaknesses.
This is a style of play that quickly drains players’ resources, right? Of course, but Sociedad has invested in local youth rather than fancy transfers.
Their most important players this season are in their early 20s (Sucic, Aramburu, Berrenetxea). And their established stars (Oyarzabal, Guedes, Soler) haven’t yet hit 30. To put it plainly, these are players that can, and want to run down the opposition.
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Sociedad’s Build-up Play
It’s a distinctive build-up style that Matarazzo began implementing back in the Bundesliga that he’s brought to Real Sociedad.
At its most basic, this means that the team will build from the back, starting with the two central defenders. Typically, the defenders will go wide while the defensive midfielder (Benat Turrientes or Jon Gorrotxategi) will drop down to pick up the ball and redistribute it.
Meanwhile, the wing-backs advance and create width. The rest of the players crowd the central area. There are nearly always two strikers waiting in the centre of the pitch.
Txuri-urdin in Attack
Reducing something complicated to its most basic form, Sociedad scores goals, usually, in two ways. Either they cross the ball from one of the two attacking full-backs, or they break away at speed after winning back possession around the midfield line.
Jon Aramburu and Sergio Gomez are the team’s wing-backs. Gomez excels in terms of crosses and passing. Aramburu is the more defensive of the two.
The attacking focus, of course, is the team’s most celebrated player, Mikel Oyarzabal. Young Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson is his deputy.
While Oyarzabal is a master of using space to his advantage and also possesses great ball control, Oskarsson is the classic number nine striker, using his strength and jumping reach.
Frankly, the attacking plans are something that requires further work if Sociedad is to challenge the top clubs in La Liga this season.
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What’s Next for Matarazzo and Real Sociedad?
Matarazzo’s first season in charge was a dream come true for Sociedad in some respects. The team won the Copa del Rey. Enthusiasm was re-established.
However, the team also finished in 10th place. The team’s pressing style exposed defensive vulnerabilities. And in the 2026/27 early games, progress was not immediately apparent.
There’s still excitement about this Real Sociedad side. However, Pellegrino Matarazzo will need to act quickly and improve results.
If this doesn’t happen quickly, the board will have to look for a different manager. Rest assured, I’m sure that, once again, it’ll be someone chosen to fit with the club’s established identity.
