Crunch time at River: Gallardo to decide his future | OneFootball

After River’s 1-0 defeat against Vélez, their third consecutive loss in the Torneo Apertura, Marcelo Gallardo canceled the press conference and left the José Amalfitani stadium without speaking. For the first time since his return in August 2024, he is seriously considering his future in the position. Decisive hours are ahead: the coach arrived at the training ground around 4 PM, and during the evening practice he will announce his decision. In other words, he will tell his players whether he is staying or leaving.

Once the defeat was confirmed, and after several minutes in the José Amalfitani press room, journalists learned that the River delegation would leave without any words from the coach, something he had already done after previous losses. Sources within the club indicate that this is due to a period of reflection and self-criticism, and they do not see the need to speak “in the heat of the moment” because it could have negative consequences.

Within this reflection and self-criticism lies the possibility of stepping aside, given the inability of the most decorated coach in the club’s history to reverse a trend that has been off track since the last months of 2025. The numbers back this up: after the loss to Vélez, the Millonario became the team with the most defeats (11) in the last 15 matches among the 30 teams in the First Division.

It is expected that this very afternoon, during training at River Camp, “El Muñeco” will communicate his decision to the management led by Stefano Di Carlo, who renewed his contract until December 2026 just days after taking office.

Additionally, the poor results are having direct consequences on the standings. In Zone B, River sits tenth with seven points, outside the playoff qualification spots. In the annual table, which grants spots for international tournaments, they are twentieth, eight points behind the leader, Independiente Rivadavia.

These damning numbers mean that the cycle of the most successful coach in River’s history is hanging by a thread. Will he have the strength to right the ship?

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