Holan blasts Estudiantes for Rosario Central guard of honour: “Disrespectful” | OneFootball

The Canalla coach questioned the rival's attitude beforehand and emphasized his discomfort over the gesture that occurred before the round of 16 clash in the Clausura.

The match in Arroyito, where Estudiantes pulled off a shock and defeated Rosario Central, was marked by a gesture that created a tense atmosphere even before kickoff. Ariel Holan described as disrespectful the visiting team's decision to turn their backs on the home side in the hallway set up by the AFA, an action that took place before the match which ended with the team from La Plata advancing thanks to a goal from Edwuin Cetré. For the Canalla coach, the behavior went beyond any differences between club managements.

Expanding on his stance, the coach emphasized that the decision made by the body that runs Argentine football was unanimous and that the Rosario club had no influence over it. “We didn’t ask for anything. This was a decision made by the entire AFA Executive Committee, and I thank them for making this distinction for Rosario Central, for considering that it deserved another star in its trophy cabinet. From now on, this will benefit other clubs, because there was a lot of talk about long tournaments,” the coach furiously stated.

He went on to add: “I believe that it wasn’t fair, firstly because this was a decision by all the AFA authorities, with witnesses—surely not all of them are liars, everyone agreed. That recognition, which can be debated, because in Argentina everyone thinks they’re holier than thou, everyone’s a champion at pointing out what others do wrong. Everyone is free to have an opinion, but when that freedom turns into disrespect and unsportsmanlike conduct, it hurts, it hurts because we are colleagues in this profession.”

Later, the coach stated that he would not have allowed his group to repeat that behavior. He highlighted the effort made throughout the entire season, with a campaign sustained over two semesters. He once again thanked the AFA for the award and stressed that the discussion about tournament formats or criteria should serve to improve future planning.

He then analyzed the match, downplaying the merits of Eduardo Domínguez’s team. “Estudiantes played defensively and on the counterattack; these types of matches are complicated. We didn’t have many chances, but we couldn’t capitalize on them. Them opening the scoring only made the rival’s defense stronger. We got anxious, tried different substitutions and alternatives. The fairest result would have been a draw, but it didn’t happen. Unfortunately, we had hoped to reach the final, and today just wasn’t our best day, that’s clear,” Holan said.

Finally, he concluded: “I think Estudiantes practically didn’t have a shot on goal. Central had an extraordinary tournament, but it’s not a superhero; it needs a structure, and due to Estudiantes’ merit, it couldn’t show its qualities. There are important players coming back from injury, and Nacho (Malcorra) was suspended. There were things happening internally that affected us in this match, but the team made a huge effort. I’m proud because they gave everything they had.”

Despite closing out 2025 as league champions, Central couldn’t hide the bitter taste of not having measured up in the knockout stages, both in the Apertura and Clausura. The Rosario team now heads into vacation, where they will plan the 2026 preseason ahead of a year in which they will return to play in the Copa Libertadores.

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