Retro bombshell: Hugo Ibarra had signed for River: «All done» | OneFootball

The history of Argentine football is full of cross-club transfers that were forgotten over time, but few were as shocking as the one revealed by Hugo Benjamín Ibarra. The Formosa native, a multiple-time champion and absolute Boca Juniors idol, confessed a secret he had kept for years: before joining Xeneize, he had everything arranged to wear the River Plate shirt.

In the late 1990s, “Negro” was shining at Colón de Santa Fe and had become the most sought-after right back in the country. His destiny seemed set with the red sash, but an unexpected twist of fate (and the club directors) changed the course of his career forever.

A secret meeting and a transfer that collapsed over details

In an interview with D Sports Radio, the former defender explained just how close he came to Núñez in 1997, when Ramón Ángel Díaz was managing River:

“Before joining Boca, I had already finalized my transfer to River. I met with the club directors in Buenos Aires, and everything was agreed verbally. At the time, River was playing in the Supercopa and the local championship, and the idea was for me to join immediately,” Ibarra revealed.

However, negotiations stalled because of differences in the payment terms between the clubs, and the transfer fell through at the last moment. The following year, fate would offer him another chance that would change the history of Argentine football.

The call from Carlos Bianchi and the birth of an idol

In mid-1998, with the arrival of the “Viceroy” as Boca’s head coach, Mauricio Macri (then the club’s president) pushed hard to sign the Colón full-back.

The rest is well-known history. That failed move to Núñez opened the doors to glory for him at La Boca, where Ibarra played 324 matches, scored 10 goals, and won 15 titles (including 4 Copa Libertadores and 1 Intercontinental Cup), unquestionably becoming the best right back in the club’s history.

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