Torrent vs. Dortmund: Monterrey’s coach and the challenge against the giant

Monterrey prepares to face Borussia Dortmund in the Club World Cup

Monterrey coach Domenec Torrent acknowledged that his team will face a superior rival, Borussia Dortmund, in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup. The match will be played on Tuesday night at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Rayados managed to qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament after finishing second in Group E, with two draws and one victory. They surpassed River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds, although they finished behind Inter Milan, who led the group.

We know they are superior to us, it’s no secret. In terms of squad, budget, and experience in major competitions, they are at another level. But Monterrey has shown its worth in three matches, playing differently in terms of system and game idea.

Domenec Torrent

Torrent, who worked in Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Bayern Munich, knows the quality of Borussia Dortmund well. This allows him to convey to his players the concentration needed to compete.

I know them well from my time at Bayern. I know how well they compete. I want my team to feel that we must fight for every ball, every minute, every second. Only then can we compete against BVB.

Domenec Torrent

In 2007, Torrent joined Guardiola’s coaching staff at FC Barcelona B, and then accompanied him at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Together, they won 24 titles in 11 years.

This is the first time Torrent is leading a team in the Club World Cup as head coach, although he had already participated in previous editions as part of the coaching staff.

It is very gratifying to face different football cultures. Football is globalizing, people study and analyze it. Individual quality is usually decisive in many matches, and for me it is a luxury to be in the Club World Cup. I was already in other editions with Bayern, Barcelona and City, but as an assistant to Pep Guardiola, not as head coach.

Domenec Torrent

Monterrey qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup by winning the 2021 Concacaf Champions League, defeating Club América in the final. The winner of Tuesday’s round of 16 match will face the winner of the match between Real Madrid and Juventus in the quarter-finals.