Fortaleza confirmed, on Wednesday night (3), the hiring of Martín Palermo as new coach of the team for the sequence of the season. Bond Boca Juniors and biggest top scorer in the history of the Argentine club, Palermo arrives at the Leão Technical Command in search of consolidation in the vacancy.
Palermo’s contract extends until the end of 2025, with the option of renewal until the end of the 2026 season. Recently, the coach was Paraguayan champion with Olimpia.
Martín Palermo’s trajectory as a player
Known as “El Loco”, Palermo began his trajectory in football as striker of Estudiantes, from Argentina, where he played from 1992 to 1997. In six seasons, he scored 36 goals in 99 matches before going to Boca Juniors. It was at the Xeneize club that he went into history.
Palermo wore the Boca Juniors shirt in two distinct passages. The first was from 1997 to 2001, and the second from 2004 until 2011. During this period, he won several important titles, such as Libertadores 2000 and the same year’s Intercontinental Cup, when he scored the two goals of the 2-1 win over Real Madrid.
Between the two passages through Boca, Palermo had an experience in European football. He acted for Villarreal and Betis, both from Spain, but without the same performance he had in Argentina.
This led him back to Boca, where he returned to collect trophies: Libertadores of 2007, South Americans from 2004 and 2005, as well as titles from the Argentine Championship.
He also had a passage through the Argentine team as a player. Participated in the 2010 World Cup alongside Messi and under the command of Maradona.
In ending his career as a player in 2011, Palermo said goodbye after nine seasons, becoming the greatest scorer in Boca Juniors history.
Palermo numbers as a player
| Season | Time | Games | Goals |
| 1993 a 1997 | Students (ARG) | 99 | 36 |
| 1998 a 2000 | Boca juniors (angry) | 124 | 91 |
| 2000/01 a 2002/03 | Villarreal (ESP) | 81 | 21 |
| 2003/04 | Real Betis (ESP) | 11 | 2 |
| 2003/04 | Alavés | 14 | 3 |
| 2005 a 2011 | Boca juniors (angry) | 281 | 125 |
| Total | 610 | 278 |
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Victorious path as a coach
After retirement, Palermo began his career as a technician at the Argentina Godoy Cruz in 2012. Over the years he has accumulated tickets for several clubs in South America and Mexico, such as Arsenal de Sarandí, Unión Española (Chile), Pachuca (Mexico), United Curicó (Argentina) and Olimpia (Paraguay).
It was in Olympia that Palermo reached the greatest feat as a coach. In 2024, he led the Paraguayan team to win the National Championship, with 22 wins in 44 games. Performance caught the attention of the South American market.
Palermo numbers as a coach
| Season | Time | Games | Wins |
| 2013 e 2014 | Godoy Cruz (ARG) | 39 | 13 |
| 2014 e 2015 | Sarandí Arsenal (ARG) | 36 | 10 |
| 2017 e 2018 | Spanish Union (CHI) | 88 | 36 |
| 2018/19 e 2019/20 | Pachuca (Mex) | 38 | 15 |
| 2020 e 2021 | Curicó Unido (Chi) | 27 | 4 |
| 2021 e 2022 | Aldosivi (ARG) | 30 | 12 |
| 2023 | Platense (ARG) | 46 | 15 |
| 2024 e 2025 | Olimpia (par) | 58 | 27 |
| Total | 362 | 132 |
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