Lucas Beltrán: 'With Demichelis it was a brilliant year at River' | OneFootball

"With Demichelis it was a brilliant year," Lucas Beltrán said, ahead of a reunion with his former River coach in Mallorca next Tuesday. "His arrival commanded respect, mainly because I had never known River without Marcelo Gallardo."

In AS’s reporting, he spoke about Demichelis and River.

Martin Gastón Demichelis was appointed River Plate head coach on 16 November 2023, and despite a bumpy start Beltrán posted the best numbers of his career under him. He scored 16 in 36 games, 12 in the league, three in the Copa Libertadores and one in the Copa Argentina, with four assists and 67% of minutes.

"I thought I might have to move on. Julián Álvarez had gone and experienced forwards like Miguel Borja and Salomón Rondón arrived. But in the first pre-season sessions in Orlando I felt something special and told myself, 'You have to stay, it will go well here'."

"In the first five or six matches I barely played, but when the chance came I took it," he said. He then became River’s leading scorer in the league with 12, a key piece in a title-winning side that opened the door to Europe with Fiorentina.

"Nicolás Burdisso called my brother and I started my European adventure, first in Italy and now in Spain."

"I will face Demichelis wanting revenge against myself," Beltrán added after missing a big chance at the Martínez Valero. "It was shit." "At Valencia I have felt like myself again."

Source: AS