Paredes: Boca’s biggest match, Quintero: back Gallardo at River

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·6 November 2025

Paredes: Boca’s biggest match, Quintero: back Gallardo at River

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, even though I’ve played in important matches before. What a Superclásico means, what it represents for the people, for our club, for Argentine football—it’s definitely one of the most important matches of my career. For me, it’s a pleasure to face players like these, and to do it again will be very nice.”
Juan Fernando Quintero: “We know that our current situation hasn’t been the best compared to what we’re used to. But it’s a clásico, it’s a historic match for us as well. We have a great opportunity against our rival, and this is the moment to make a statement, and what better opportunity than this.”
Paredes: “We’re only focused on ourselves, on preparing for the match in the best way so that on Sunday we can take those three points. What happens on the other side is their problem, and I’m not the one to talk about the other club.”
Quintero: “(Gallardo’s contract renewal) clearly shows the club’s enormous support for the coach. Not only because of the moment we’re going through, but somehow we’re still alive in the League. Also, for us, knowing we have our coach with us, with his energy, doubles down on our commitment. In tough times, real support is shown. What better moment to play this game with that backing—not just for the coach, but also for us, knowing that if he has energy, we have to have twice as much. It’s going to be a unique clásico, I think we’re facing a great rival and it’s time for us to really show what support means and what we want.”
Paredes: “I dreamed for a long time about coming back 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’m going to enjoy it a lot.”
Quintero: “Personally, I see it as motivation. Life always brings you to these limits, especially in football. We’re going through a moment that, while it’s been good many times, right now isn’t the best, but we have a clear outlook. We have to face a great rival, a clásico everyone will be watching. It’s our moment. One way or another, courage, hierarchy, and human determination show themselves in big moments, and I think this is an important moment for us.”
Paredes: “It’s a match that’s not only very important because it’s a clásico, but also because of what winning means. It qualifies us for the next Libertadores, which is one of our objectives, so being able to do it on Sunday and against a rival like River would be something great.”
Quintero: (After suggesting that the coach had been left unsupported, he’s asked if he thinks the team is fighting for him in recent matches) “I think that’s everyone’s perception. At no time would we abandon the coach. I think if we’re at River, it’s because he chose us to come here, and these are moments that happen in football. It would be disrespectful to have that kind of mentality. I think, one way or another, a large part of River’s history has been made by Marcelo. For us, being at River is a huge responsibility, it’s a pleasure. I think we wear the badge with a lot of pride, but these are also things that happen in 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 going on with the coach.”
Paredes: “(The Superclásico) is one of the most important in the world, alongside Real Madrid – Barcelona. Being able to be part of such an important match as this, with how important it is for both teams to win on Sunday, it’s going to be important for everyone and surely the whole world will be watching. So we’ll try to enjoy it, to do our best so that the result stays at home.”
Quintero: (On being substituted) “It’s personal. Sometimes you feel you can give more, obviously you respect the coach’s decisions. That’s my mentality. We all want to play the full 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 has changed a lot compared to those two matches (the two Superclásicos I’ve already played). I’m playing a different role in the team, being much more important, much more central to the team. I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest, I know what all this means, I know the responsibility it carries, but I enjoy it. It’s a match, not just any match, but I’ll enjoy it like any other.”

Quintero: “For the world, it’s a very important match. People talk about clásicos and this is one of the biggest. Everyone asks about it, everyone lives it, everyone wants to watch it. For us, it’s a pleasure to be playing it against a great rival, great players, and I think these moments will always be remembered. That’s how we live them.”
Paredes: “When I arrived at clubs, the first thing they asked me was what a Boca-River, a River-Boca meant, and that makes you realize how important a match like this is.”
Quintero: “Football is collective. Beyond that, everyone has to prepare themselves better. Surely there are many situations in the game I’m still missing. When results don’t come, many conclusions are drawn and there are doubts about many players, but we have to leave that behind. We have a great opportunity to play a clásico. For anyone who has doubts, stay calm, River will go out and do what it has to do. Obviously, we know the situation, it’s not easy, but it’s a great challenge, a great match, and the men will have to step up regardless of the game’s circumstances.”
Paredes: “In my whole 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, with good people, humble people who want to achieve important things. I think we’re on the right track. We’ve improved a lot collectively, individually, and that will help us achieve all our objectives.”

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