Paredes’ weekly asado brings the Boca squad together | OneFootball

Boca changed under the guidance of Leandro Paredes on the field, there is no doubt about that. He was the cornerstone of the football reconstruction of a team that was stumbling, with no clear direction. But little by little, news is emerging that shows his influence goes beyond the playing field: he is also key off the field, for example, by instilling weekly barbecues among the team.

How is this? Since returning to Brandsen 805, his football home, he has assumed a leadership role in all areas and started to have an impact on various issues that gave a 180-degree turn to the internal mood. The world champion, accustomed to the brotherhood that exists in the Argentine National Team—a crucial factor for the achievements made—sought to generate that unity at La Ribera as well.

In this sense, one of the ways he found to strengthen interpersonal bonds was to call for a barbecue among the players often, about once a week, generally at his home as a meeting point. Wednesdays, after the double training session, is the designated day. In fact, the open secret is that Paredes himself is not only the host but also takes care of grilling the meat.

The information came to light thanks to a photo posted by Juan Barinaga, currently the starting right-back for Claudio Úbeda in Boca's lineup, in which the entire team is seen smiling in a garden—probably that of the number 5's house. The photo is not recent, but from one of those many gatherings the players have already had, yet it clearly represents the good vibes reigning in the group day by day.

From the key players (Edinson Cavani and Agustín Marchesín, among others) to those sidelined by the coaching staff (Cristian Lema, Lucas Blondel, Ignacio Miramón, and Frank Fabra) are present at the regular dinner, which has already become a sort of ritual and showcases the unity that exists today in Boca.

Although it may seem like a minor detail, a few weeks ago it was decided that during the concentration only the team and the coaching staff would be present. Moreover, and this was an exclusive initiative by Paredes, the great leader of this renewed Boca, there are no longer any hairdressers present, something that was common until not long ago; nor are there sellers of clothes, perfumes, and other accessories.

The world champion's idea is that before the matches, the intimacy is total and the focus is exclusively on what lies ahead. United in the goal of winning everything that remains in the only competition they are still in this year, the xeneize team has strengthened around Paredes and Edinson Cavani.

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