Why Ariel Holan is leaving Rosario Central: the reasons behind his exit | OneFootball

The news of Ariel Holan’s departure shook the auriazul-painted section of Rosario and reverberated strongly throughout the football world in general. When everything seemed set for him to continue his project into 2026, with the Copa Libertadores on the horizon, the club published a statement announcing the “mutual termination” with the coach who had led them to the top of the annual table and secured the title of “League Champion.” What’s behind his departure?

The first version suggests that the coach, who previously managed Independiente, had the idea of restructuring the squad in preparation for the triple competition the club would face next year. These changes involved bringing in new players to provide a “quality boost” and also letting some players go, possibly including some key figures who had won the 2023 Copa de la Liga under Miguel Ángel Russo. The Board of Directors, led by Gonzalo Belloso, reportedly did not accept these conditions. The directors are not considering breaking up the team.

Meanwhile, from within the Arroyito camp, it’s claimed that there were divided opinions within the Board regarding his continuity. His recent history in knockout matches had become his Achilles’ heel and raised doubts among those who were not fully convinced.

To give a few examples, the Canalla lost in the quarterfinals of the Apertura, 1-0 to Huracán at the Gigante, in the round of 16 of the Clausura, with the same result against Estudiantes de La Plata—the day of the “backwards guard of honor”—and in the round of 32 of the Copa Argentina, 3-1 to Unión on penalties after a 0-0 draw in regular time. All of these were early exits, especially considering they were the team that earned the most points in the regular stage of both local championships. And with the Libertadores on the horizon—a tournament built on knockout rounds—this caused some concern.

Little time has passed since the announcement of the end of his tenure, which left a record of 22 wins, 13 draws, and seven losses in 42 matches played. Surely, as the hours go by, there will be more clarity regarding the details of his departure.

The candidates to succeed Holan as Rosario Central coach While waiting for the decisions to be made at the Board of Directors meeting held Thursday afternoon, three names have started to gain a lot of traction in Arroyito: Juan Antonio Pizzi, Eduardo Coudet, and Ramón Díaz.

Chacho is the natural candidate, the first they will probably call, almost out of obligation. Nevertheless, insiders admit that they will stay in contact with Pizzi in the coming weeks. There is not yet a firm favorite. Several are on the list.

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