River 2026: Technical department in doubt, questions arise | OneFootball

The new management of Stefano di Carlo will need to define how roles will be divided between Marcelo Gallardo's technical team and the club's own department, currently managed by Enzo Francescoli and Leonardo Ponzio.

These are very tumultuous days at River following the end of a year to forget. The team lost everything it played without competing, and Marcelo Gallardo's image, until now spotless, suffered an unexpected wear. The new president, Stefano di Carlo, guaranteed his continuity, but given the poor results, some things may change in 2026. Among them, the role and even the existence of the Technical Secretariat: could it disappear next year?

From the day he launched his candidacy and anticipated that “obviously the leadership and the CEO of the football area is Marcelo Gallardo, totally and exclusively” to the afternoon he asserted that “nobody has the keys to the club” before the Superclásico, only two months passed, but also a long list of failures. The change in stance occurred before the defeat against Boca, when Jorge Brito's successor felt the need to confirm the coach in his position but also to set boundaries.

In that period, after beating Estudiantes, the Millonario played nine matches: lost six (seven, counting the penalties with Independiente Rivadavia) and was eliminated from the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Argentina. Then came the defeat at the Bombonera and the recent elimination from the Torneo Clausura against Racing. Crushing results that marked a very negative cycle.

This context explains the doubts about the Technical Secretariat. The department currently led by Enzo Francescoli, with Leonardo Ponzio as his deputy, had very little influence since Gallardo's return. In fact, the Millonario idol himself had said: “At River, football is very vertical, and all decisions are made by Marcelo Gallardo”.

With an increasingly decorative role, since this year the negotiations, renewals, reinforcements, everything was in the hands of the Muñeco and Mariano Barnao, the coach's trusted man and the Club's Football Manager, it seemed almost certain that the Uruguayan would end his tenure at the club with the end of the D’Onofrio-Brito era.

Now, with the results in and the very poor performance of many of the new faces requested and brought in by the coach and his right-hand man, a huge question mark arises in Núñez. Although he hasn't said it publicly, Enzo still has the idea of leaving his position after 12 years, and Ponzio, key in the coach's glorious cycle, might follow suit. Even so, Di Carlo wants the club to regain ground in this area and Gallardo would like to maintain his, but his terrible year has weakened him.

It's hard to imagine a River with the Muñeco where he doesn't have the final say. However, they might be working on this new dynamic. In a club going through a critical moment, all sorts of versions have emerged: from the Technical Secretariat remaining unchanged, to the possible arrival of David Trezeguet to replace Francescoli, to the coach continuing to be that CEO mentioned by Di Carlo.

The truth is that everything that was certain a few months ago has turned into uncertainty. For the first time since his arrival at the club in 2014, Gallardo could face conditions on his continuity. Nonetheless, his relationship with the president is excellent, probably better than it was with D’Onofrio and Brito, and there is optimism that everything can be resolved harmoniously. The coming days will involve strong decisions, and this will be one of them.

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