The Great Coach now has a new champion: a coaching duo from Santa Fe that manages the successful "Moniquita Football Club."

Two cups were raised in the last few hours in Santa Fe during the celebrations of a loving couple passionate about soccer who, after a most disconcerting and worrying final few matches, managed to be crowned champions of the Gran DT, the game that Argentines are passionate about. And although this Friday Mónica Bacchiani spent her afternoon taking care of her granddaughter, away from Ruben Rugna , her partner, the joy of this 66-year-old retiree seems impossible to fade.

The champion team, called "Moniquita Fútbol Club," was founded in 2008 and lasted until 2010, when Bacchiani decided to withdraw from the competition without great results. They returned to the fray in 2023, and 2025 was their year. With 1,266 final points, just four points ahead of second place, the team took home the top prize after reaching the top and never backing down since matchday 16.

As a DT Premium member, Bacchianim multiplied her prize pool and pocketed $5,000,000, plus an extra $500,000 for winning the Premium Tournament (exclusive to those with the package). "There was a lot of work behind all of this. We celebrated yesterday and went out for a drink... It was my husband's birthday, so it was a double celebration. I told him, 'Look at the gift I'm giving you!'" Mónica told Clarín .

Both have been Colón fans "since birth" and are passionate about football, but "not fanatic." That's why they took on the role of "couple ritual" of putting together their ideal team based on the conditions each matchday presented. All this to achieve that coveted prize, which, as a retired retail employee, is of great help to them.

"It helps a lot. I have a minimum pension, and so does my husband, who's a retail employee. It's minimal, and it's significantly reduced. You can imagine this is a gift from heaven. I still can't believe it," said the Santa Fe native.

Mónica insists there's no secret behind her fame. Just a great ambition and the "constant help" of her husband, Ruben, to make the best choices. She stated: "We devoted more and more time to it as we rose through the ranks. We didn't even want to go out for a coffee because we stayed home, watching TV, always on guard."

The tactics for selecting players varied throughout the tournament. First, they started with a 4-3-3, then a 3-3-4, and on the final day, they opted for a 3-4-3. As a fan of Sabalero , who currently play in the Primera Nacional (after being relegated in 2023), the winner clarifies that she didn't have a preference for any Primera team, but highlights some specific individual performances.

"As surefire goalscorers, I had Galíndez and Navas. In defense, the one I used the most was Loyola, complemented by Angulo, Martinera, and Braida. The midfielders who contributed the most were Ascacibar, Taborda, and Mastantuono. Maravilla and Merentiel were indispensable forwards. Finally, Molina," he mentioned about his trusted players who, ultimately, gave him success.

Their captain in the final stretch? None other than young Franco Mastantuono, "from matchday 16 to matchday 18." Their favorites? Felipe Loyola, Adrián Maravilla Martínez, and Álvaro Angulo. But the results of those final matches weren't what Mónica and Ruben had projected on television.

"We were leading the two tournaments in the penultimate round, in 11-a-side and 5-a-side football—in which we failed to secure a victory—just one point behind the runners-up. The results weren't logical, and that worried us even more," said the Moniquita Fútbol Club founder.

When the beans counted for much more than a point, and the competition was drawing to a close, none of the quarterfinal results turned out the way the couple had envisioned during the "ritual" phase in which they chose their starting eleven candidates.

Bacchiani explained: "We were aiming for Central, who were undefeated at home, not to lose against Huracán. Argentinos Juniors had been the best team in the tournament in terms of play, but they lost. For example, in the Boca-Independiente match, we had our doubts and thought River would thrash Platense, but that wasn't the case."

Thanks to the performance of Independiente's Angulo, who earned 21 points after defeating Boca Juniors at La Bombonera with a stunning goal in the 19th minute of the second half, Mónica and Ruben secured a glorious victory in the Gran DT format.

After Thursday's well-deserved celebration, the Santa Fe couple began to complain, as if they were a truly accomplished technical duo. "My husband is now asking me for 50% of the prize, but I'll go and see for myself," the winner joked, laughing at her husband's request.