Gallardo bids farewell to River Plate with a party and a win | OneFootball

The Estadio Monumental was the stage this Thursday for an emotional farewell to Marcelo Gallardo as coach of River Plate. In his last match in charge of the club, the ‘Millonario’ defeated Banfield 3-1, in a game valid for the seventh round of the Argentine Torneo Apertura. The fans turned out in full force to cheer the coach in his second spell at the helm of the team.

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Farewell amid applause

After announcing his decision to step down on Monday, Gallardo was warmly greeted by more than 90,000 spectators. River Plate ended a run of three consecutive defeats with the triumph over Banfield, who had equalized at the end of the first half with a goal from Mauro Méndez. The winning goals were scored by Lucas Martínez Quarta, Sebastián Driussi, and the young Joaquín Freitas, who dedicated their goals to the coach.

Gallardo’s emotion

From the moment the lineup was announced, Gallardo’s name was exalted by the fans, in contrast to some players who were booed. Chants like “Muñeco, Muñeco,” “Gallardo belongs to River and will never leave River,” and “Thank you very much Muñeco” echoed throughout the stadium.

At the end of the match, the coach greeted his staff and went to the center of the pitch to receive the final applause, leaving through the tunnel for the last time in his tenure. Emotion filled the stands, with fans crying as they said goodbye to one of the most successful coaches in the club’s history, alongside Ángel Labruna.

Farewell words

In his statements, Marcelo Gallardo made it clear that his affection for the club will remain eternal. “To River, I say that tomorrow I might be picking up my son from school, since he comes here, so I’m not really saying goodbye. These are the things that this magical place has, right? We leave, but we never really leave,” said the coach, visibly moved, at a press conference where he did not take questions and was accompanied by his family. He assured that he will keep an eye on the club while he is away.

Wishes for the future

Gallardo gave special thanks to the fans “for another night of unconditional love,” emphasizing how hard it is to repay all that affection. The squad was also remembered in his thanks. For the River Plate board, he wished “with all my heart” that they can recover and “rise again,” amid the football crisis that led to his resignation. The coach ended his second spell at the club without titles, in contrast to the 14 trophies he won in his first stint between 2014 and 2022.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.