Independiente and the 64-title question

Sixty-four. That is the number that greets any candidate who sits in the manager's office at Club Atlético Independiente, and it is the number that will greet the next man through the door. The most decorated club in Argentina, a name known far beyond its own borders, has spent the final days of 2063 without a leader after Tiago Luna left the post. The press has already begun to link one name with the vacancy: Davinilson Silva Costa, the 49-year-old Brazilian who has been in charge at Clube de Regatas Brasil since the start of 2047.

No appointment is known. Some of those mentioned have denied the interest; others have said nothing. But the speculation itself tells you something about the scale of the job. Independiente are not merely a club between managers. They are the champions of Argentina for the third time in a row, having won the league in 2063 to add to the titles of the two previous seasons, and their 23 domestic crowns are part of a larger history that includes 11 Copa Libertadores triumphs, the most recent in 2059. Whoever takes over inherits a side used to winning, and a support that has come to expect it.

Silva Costa's credentials are not in doubt. His coaching style is tactical, his preferred formation a 4-4-2, and his longevity at Clube de Regatas Brasil speaks to a man who builds something durable. He is liked by a number of fellow managers—Bruno Henrique, Carlos Eduardo, Douglas, Edson Friaça, Kaká and Luciano are among those who hold him in high regard—and he remains close to Josimar Capretz, a player he once managed. But the job at Independiente is a different order of pressure. The club's supporters remember the four straight Libertadores titles from 1972 to 1975, a run that ended only after 1975, and they remember the three straight league crowns from 2054 to 2056, a run that ended after 2056. They will want the next chapter to begin with the same certainty.

Silva Costa has not spoken publicly about the link. Nor has the club. But the coming days will tell whether this is a genuine courtship or merely the first name on a list. For now, the only certainty is the number on the wall: 64. It is the weight of history, and it sits in the chair before anyone else can.