Claudio Úbeda spoke about staying on as Boca manager after the exit | OneFootball

After the painful 1-0 defeat at home to Universidad Católica, which sealed Boca’s surprising elimination from the Copa Libertadores, Claudio Úbeda spoke out and addressed his future as head coach.

With his contract set to expire on June 30, the coach spoke about his future on the Xeneize bench, although everything indicates that his continuation in charge of the team is highly unlikely. From now on, the club will have to digest the blow and turn its focus to the Copa Sudamericana playoff round.

Boca were eliminated in the round of 16, something that had not happened since 1994.

The great disappointment took shape on the pitch at La Bombonera. To advance to the next stage in the Group D finale, Boca absolutely needed all three points, since their fate was in their own hands. However, they came up against a shrewd Chilean side that executed its game plan well and took a win that solidified its place at the top of the table. Despite the crowd’s relentless support, the team lacked attacking punch and the international dream faded when the final whistle blew.

Speaking to the microphones, the coach tried to put the brakes on rumors of his imminent departure, making it clear that the final assessment of his spell will be made calmly together with the club’s leadership: "I don’t think this is the time to talk about that. I think we need to meet, talk, reflect on everything that happened during this time we were here, and then make a decision. We always depend on results, that doesn’t depend on me".

Claudio Úbeda speaking at the press conference.

Claudio Úbeda and Paredes’ commitment

Despite the bitter disappointment on the collective level, the manager took a moment to acknowledge the tremendous effort of his players, especially highlighting Leandro Paredes. The midfielder tried to be the team’s hub and driving force, pushing forward throughout the match despite being physically hampered.

The coach praised Paredes.

On the midfielder’s condition and commitment, Úbeda highlighted his determination not to abandon the team in the middle of the sporting storm: "Leandro didn’t hold anything back. He had... you saw his reaction when he grabbed his leg. He had some tightness in his hamstring, but he managed to get through the whole match. He wanted to keep playing, we asked him several times, and I truly value his willingness to stay on the pitch in the difficult moment we were going through".

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