Paredes and Quintero: Superclásico, Boca’s biggest match, back Gallardo

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·6 November 2025

Paredes and Quintero: Superclásico, Boca’s biggest match, back Gallardo

In the lead-up to the crucial Superclásico of matchday 15 of the Torneo Clausura, Leandro Paredes and Juan Fernando Quintero held a joint press conference organized by the Professional League. The captain and star of Boca and the emblem and talent of River spoke just over 48 hours before the match.

Leandro Paredes: "It's special. It's extremely important. Surely one of the most important of my career, beyond having played important matches. What a superclásico entails, what it means for the people, for our club, for Argentine football, it is surely one of the most important matches of my career. For me, it's a pleasure to face these kinds of players, and doing it again will be very nice."
Juan Fernando Quintero: "We know that the current situation hasn't been the best for what we're normally used to. But it's a classic, it's a historic match for us too. We have a great opportunity against our rival, and it's the moment to make a statement, and what better opportunity than this."
Paredes: "We only think about ourselves, preparing for the match in the best way to secure those three points on Sunday. What happens on the other side is their problem, and I'm not the one to talk about the other club."
Quintero: "The renewal of Gallardo's contract makes it clear that the club's support for the coach is immense. Not only because of the moment we're going through, but somehow we're still alive in the League. Also, for us to know that we have our coach, with energy, it doubles the bet. In tough times, real support is seen. What better moment to play this game with the backing, not only for the coach, and we are also confident that if he has energy, we must have double. It will be a classic apart, I think we face a great rival, and it's time for us to truly show what support is and what we want."
Paredes: "I dreamed for a long time of returning to my country, to my club, at this age, trying to do it 100%. It's a dream for me to be able to play this kind of match in our stadium, with our people, so I will enjoy it immensely."
Quintero: "Personally, I see it as motivation. Life always takes you to these limits, especially football. We are going through a moment that, as it has been good on many occasions, right now it's not the best, but we have a clear outlook. We have to face a great rival, a classic that everyone will watch. It's our moment. In one way or another, bravery, hierarchy, and human decision are shown in big moments, and I think it's an important moment for us."
Paredes: "It's a match, not only very important because it's a classic, but because winning it qualifies us for the next Libertadores, which is one of our objectives, so being able to do it on Sunday against a rival like River would be something great."
Quintero: (After suggesting that the coach had been abandoned, he was asked if he believed they were fighting for him in the last matches) "I think that's everyone's perception. At no time would we abandon the coach. I believe if we are at River, it's because he chose us to come, and these are moments that happen in football. It would be disrespectful to have that kind of mentality. I think, in one way or another, a large part of River's history has been made by Marcelo. For us, being at River is a great responsibility, it's a pleasure. I think we wear the badge with a lot of pride, but these are also things of football. Sometimes you don't have luck when you need the ball to go in, but that situation has nothing to do with what's happening with the coach."
Paredes: "The Superclásico is one of the most important in the world, along with Real Madrid – Barcelona. Being part of such an important match as this, with how important it is for both teams to win on Sunday, will be important for everyone, and surely everyone will watch it. So, we try to enjoy it, to do our best so that the result stays at home."
Quintero: (On the times he has been substituted) "It's personal. Sometimes you feel you can give more, obviously respecting the coach's decisions. It's my mentality. We all want to play the 90 minutes, we all want to help the team, sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't. That's how I live. That's how I live football. It's nothing personal, we're going through a tough time, and sometimes you feel a bit bad, but it has nothing to do personally with the coach's decisions."
Paredes: "The importance, the responsibility changed a lot compared to those two matches (the two superclásicos I've already played). I'm occupying another role in the team, being much more important, much more central to the team. I will enjoy it to the fullest, I know what all this entails, I know the responsibility it has, but I enjoy it. It's a match, not just any match, but I will enjoy it like any other."

Quintero: "For the world, it's a very important match. People talk about the classics, and this is one of great magnitude. Everyone asks, everyone lives it, everyone wants to see it. For us, it's a pleasure to be playing it against a great rival, great players, and I think those moments will always be marked. That's how we live them."
Paredes: "I've had to arrive at clubs, and the first thing they asked me was what a Boca-River, a River-Boca meant, and that makes you think about how important a match like this is."
Quintero: "Football is collective. Beyond that, everyone has to prepare better. Surely I'm missing many situations that happen in the game. When results don't come, many conclusions are drawn, and there are doubts about many players, but we have to leave this behind. We have the great opportunity to play a classic. To those who have doubts, be calm, River will go out and do what it has to do. Obviously, we know the situation, which is not easy, but it's a great challenge, a great match, and the men will have to step up here beyond the game situations."
Paredes: "In my entire career, I've been part of great teams, great groups. I know that to win, you need men, you need a good group. I think when I arrived, I tried to do that: build a good group, of good people, humble people who want to achieve important things. I think we're on the right path. We've improved a lot collectively, individually, and that will lead us to achieve all the objectives we have."

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