River Plate eye Crespo, São Paulo hopeful he'll stay | OneFootball

The São Paulo board was caught by surprise and admits, at least off the record, that they are apprehensive about River Plate’s interest in hiring Hernán Crespo as their coach. This is true even though they are confident that their manager prefers to stay at Morumbi.

The information was obtained by AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR at the beginning of Tuesday afternoon (24th).

But let’s take it step by step…

Crespo’s name as a candidate to coach the Argentine giant emerged on Monday night (23rd), after the Buenos Aires club officially announced the departure of Marcelo Gallardo due to a poor start to the season in the neighboring country.

After making history at the helm of the club between 2014 and 2022, the coach, who had a brief stint in Saudi football in 2023/24, did not have the return that was expected. He ends his second spell as River’s coach with 37 wins, 27 draws, and 21 losses in 86 matches.

This morning, Crespo’s name as the favorite candidate among Argentinians escalated. The Argentine press, with its traditional tendency to exaggerate speculation, has already set the tone, talking about calls from River’s directors to the coach and highlighting his recent good run at Tricolor, with an unbeaten streak and leadership in the Brazilian Championship.

There are plenty of reasons for the board to feel confident about Crespo staying. On the emotional side, it’s clear that the coach has created a bond with São Paulo. It’s the biggest club he’s managed in his new role, he won a title considered important, and he knows he has strong support from the fans, who didn’t call for his head even in the worst moments, such as at the end of last year and after the statement internally regarded as unfortunate, that the club’s goal for the year was to secure 45 points and avoid relegation.

On the practical and financial side, Crespo has a great relationship with the squad and the board. He’s relatively accepted by the press and knows he won’t be fired anytime soon, as there’s a certain ‘debt of gratitude’ for having stayed at the club even without the requested reinforcements and amid the political turmoil.

In terms of visibility, working at one of the biggest clubs in South America in an environment of total support and freedom, without pressure, weighs heavily in his favor.

There’s also the personal side, as the coach has settled in São Paulo’s capital. Well-adjusted, he’s intensified his Portuguese lessons, frequents restaurants and other places in the city, and this year brought family members to live with him, such as his girlfriend.

But the heart, always the heart, can be treacherous. And São Paulo knows it.

Crespo is a River idol, a club where he was developed and of which he admits to being a fan, even scoring the goals that won the Copa Libertadores title in 1996. He is very beloved by the fans. And the fact that he is being considered for the first time in his career to coach a big team in his country—and right at the club of his heart—could be decisive.

This is what makes the Tricolor directors apprehensive. Well, with no confirmation of practical negotiations so far, São Paulo is initially relying on bureaucracy.

Crespo has a contract until the end of this year and his release clause is tied to the salary he is still owed by Tricolor. At this speculative stage, the indication is clear: there will be no facilitations. If River wants their idol, they must pay the clause. But there remains the doubt whether that will be enough…

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