# Rubén Darío Insúa

Rubén Darío Insúa Carballo (born 17 April 1961) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played mainly as an attacking midfielder. He is the current manager of Barracas Central.
Insúa represented the Argentina national team several times. During his playing career, he earned the nickname "el Poeta del Futbol" (the Poet of Football).

## Playing career

Insúa was born in Buenos Aires. He played most of his career in the Argentine top league. He was part of the Independiente team that won the 1988–89 Primera title. He also played for Barcelona in Ecuador and Deportivo Cali in Colombia, and had a spell with Spanish side UD Las Palmas.

## Style of play

As a player, Insúa was regarded as a swift midfielder with an excellent touch and a penchant for scoring from free kicks. These qualities earned him his nicknames "el Poeta del Gol" (the Goal Poet) and "el Poeta del Futbol" (the Football Poet). Although he was primarily an attacking midfielder, he was also capable of playing as a striker.

## Managerial career

Insúa coached for Ecuador's Barcelona to a national title in 1997, and the Copa Libertadores finals in 1998. He coached San Lorenzo de Almagro to the Copa Sudamericana 2002 title.
Insúa coached Ecuador's Deportivo Quito to the 2009 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie A title.
On 1 October 2010, Insúa reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona's president Eduardo Maruri to return and coach the club that won his last national title achievement in 1997. On 25 March 2011, he was fired from Barcelona and replaced with Alex Aguinaga.
Insúa was Deportivo Cali's manager since approximately October 2011 until 4 March 2012.
He was the head coach of Argentine football club San Lorenzo de Almagro from end of 2023 to April 2024, when he was fired for poor results.

## Managerial statistics

    As of match played 16 March 2025
Managerial record by team and tenure :
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Team | Nat | From | To | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Barcelona SC | | 1 January 1997 | 31 December 1998 | 72 | 32 | 23 | 17 | 127 | 81 | +46 | 044.44 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste | | 1 January 1999 | 31 December 1999 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 000.00 |
| Barcelona SC | | 1 January 2000 | 31 December 2000 | 44 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 60 | 55 | +5 | 034.09 |
| San Lorenzo | | 1 July 2002 | 16 July 2003 | 47 | 20 | 12 | 15 | 75 | 62 | +13 | 042.55 |
| Barcelona SC | | 1 January 2004 | 31 December 2004 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 44 | 21 | +23 | 053.85 |
| Alianza Lima | | 1 January 2005 | 12 May 2005 | 17 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 023.53 |
| Jorge Wilstermann | | 1 January 2007 | 30 June 2007 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 29 | 23 | +6 | 045.45 |
| Talleres | | 1 July 2007 | 1 March 2008 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 25 | −6 | 033.33 |
| Deportivo Quito | | 18 December 2008 | 12 August 2010 | 83 | 37 | 18 | 28 | 91 | 83 | +8 | 044.58 |
| Barcelona SC | | 2 October 2010 | 25 March 2011 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 24 | −5 | 023.81 |
| Deportivo Cali | | 1 October 2011 | 5 March 2012 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 21 | −7 | 027.78 |
| Deportivo Quito | | 1 August 2012 | 31 December 2013 | 67 | 29 | 20 | 18 | 85 | 79 | +6 | 043.28 |
| El Nacional | | 29 May 2015 | 26 October 2015 | 19 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 25 | −7 | 036.84 |
| Bolívar | | 1 January 2016 | 25 April 2016 | 20 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 29 | 29 | +0 | 025.00 |
| LDU Portoviejo | | 4 February 2019 | 6 November 2020 | 61 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 79 | 74 | +5 | 031.15 |
| Binacional | | 7 April 2021 | 9 May 2021 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 000.00 |
| San Lorenzo | | 18 May 2022 | 11 April 2024 | 99 | 37 | 42 | 20 | 95 | 73 | +22 | 037.37 |
| Barracas Central | | 2 September 2024 | present | 24 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 27 | −3 | 025.00 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 660 | 249 | 212 | 199 | 840 | 743 | +97 | 037.73 |

## Honours
### Player

San Lorenzo
* Primera B: 1982
Independiente
* Primera División: 1988–89
Barcelona Sporting Club
* Serie A: 1991

### Manager

Barcelona Sporting Club
* Serie A: 1997
San Lorenzo
* Copa Sudamericana: 2002
Deportivo Quito
* Serie A: 2009