Patricio Graff

Patricio Andrés Graff (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡɾaf]; born 18 November 1975) is an Argentine former footballer who played as a left back who is the assistant coach of Alavés.

Playing career

Graff was born in Rosario, Santa Fe. He represented Rosario Central, Feyenoord, FC Den Bosch, Sporting de Gijón, Rayo Vallecano, CD Numancia, Hércules CF and Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, in a 15-year senior career.

From 2002 to 2005, while in Spain, Graff experienced two relegations from La Liga (one with Rayo, another with Numancia). In that country, in which he played nearly one decade, he appeared in 235 official matches, 94 of those in the top division; he scored his only goal in the competition on 2 March 2005, as Numancia held hosts Levante UD to a 1–1 draw.

Coaching career

Graff began working as a manager with former club Rosario Central's youth academy. Subsequently, he acted as assistant to his compatriot Pablo Sánchez at C.D. Universidad de Concepción and O'Higgins FC.

Remanining in Chile, Graff then helped Coquimbo Unido promote from the Primera B to the Primera División in 2018. The following season, he led the team to the fifth place with the subsequent qualification for the first stage of the Copa Sudamericana.

In December 2019, even though he had renewed his contract shortly after, Graff signed a two-year deal with O'Higgins and was officially presented late in the month, being received at the Monasterio Celeste by 16 fans (in reference to the Tomé Tragedy) and the board of directors.