Acuña on River-Gallardo row: "I don't get why they spread lies" | OneFootball

After the Monumental spoke during River’s 3-1 victory over Banfield—a match that marked the end of Marcelo Gallardo’s second stint as coach of the Millonario—several members of the squad were labeled as responsible for the departure of the club’s most successful manager in history. One of them is Marcos Acuña, who posted a statement on his Instagram account denying the rumors that have circulated in recent hours. “I don’t understand why so many lies are being spread,” said Huevo.

“After so many years in football, I’ve learned not to get caught up when people make things up, and today they’re trying to involve me in supposed conflicts that don’t exist and never existed. It hurts to hear things so far from reality and said so lightly. I have always been a professional and given my best at every club I’ve played for, and this is no exception,” wrote the World Cup champion with the Argentine National Team.

“Never in my life have I faked injuries or illnesses to avoid playing. Even when I wasn’t 100%, I made myself available to the coaching staff if they needed me. This is very serious and I don’t understand why so many lies are being spread. This only harms the people involved, their families, and the club. I will continue working and staying focused to give my best every day,” he added.

And he concluded: “I am at peace knowing I have the support of the club and my teammates at this moment.”

Acuña was one of the most booed players during the afternoon-evening at the Monumental. Targeted for his lack of commitment and physical problems that have kept him out of several matches, the world champion is one of those held responsible for the football crisis the club is going through. After the win against Banfield, the distinction made by those present at the stadium was clear: ovation and cheers for Gallardo, and strong disapproval for the players (except for the youth players).

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

In fact, against Bicho, Huevo was substituted in 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 get any minutes. His place 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 tensions in a locker room where, after a poor start to the year, differences emerged regarding the coach’s authority. President Stéfano Di Carlo will seek to bring calm during the transition to the arrival of the next coach, and it will be Eduardo Coudet himself (unless something unexpected happens) who will have to make decisions to create a new harmony within a shaken squad.

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