Acuña hits back at River-Gallardo row: "Why so many lies?" | OneFootball

After the Monumental spoke during River's 3-1 victory against Banfield, a match that marked the end of Marcelo Gallardo's second tenure as the Millionaire's coach, several team members were labeled as responsible for the departure of the club's most successful coach in history. One of them is Marcos Acuña, who posted a statement on his Instagram account denying the rumors that circulated in recent hours. "I don't understand why they spread so many lies," said Huevo.

"After so many years in football, I learned not to get involved when they make things up, and today they want to involve me in supposed conflicts that don't exist and never existed. It hurts to hear things so far from reality and said with such ease. I have always been a professional and gave my best in all the clubs I played for, and this is no exception," wrote the world champion with the Argentine National Team.

"Never in my life have I faked injuries or illnesses to avoid playing. Even without being 100%, I was available to the coaching staff if they needed me. It's very serious, and I don't understand why they spread so many lies. This only harms the people involved, their families, and the club. I will continue working and focused on giving my best every day," he added.

And he concluded: "I have the peace of mind of having the support of the club and my teammates at this moment."

Acuña was one of the most booed players in the afternoon-evening at the Monumental. Criticized for his lack of commitment and physical problems that sidelined him from several matches, the world champion is one of those blamed for the football crisis the club is going through. After the victory against Banfield, the distinction by those present in the stadium was clear: ovation and cheers for Gallardo, and strong disapproval for the players (except for the young ones).

His supposed issue with the coach would have started in the painful 4-1 defeat against Tigre. There, both he and other teammates allegedly blamed the coach for the tactical approach. That discussion would have triggered a break in the locker room, which deepened with subsequent defeats against Argentinos Juniors and Vélez.

Precisely against Bicho, Huevo was replaced at the 59th minute by Matías Viña and hasn't played since. He didn't travel to San Luis due to a flu, which also kept him out of the match against Fortín. Against Banfield, he was on the bench but didn't see any minutes. His spot was taken by young Facundo González, who made his first start in the First Division.

In Núñez, they hope that Gallardo's departure will help ease a locker room where, after a poor start to the year, differences regarding the coach's authority emerged. President Stéfano Di Carlo will seek to bring calm during the transition towards the arrival of the next coach, and it will be Eduardo Coudet himself (unless something unforeseen arises) who will have to make decisions to create new harmony within a shaken team.

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