Úbeda explains Zeballos’ substitution, sparking anger at La Bombonera | OneFootball

Boca's dream of lifting a trophy, in the midst of a year full of ups and downs, has come to an end. They were eliminated in the semifinals of the Torneo Clausura by Racing, losing 1-0 at La Bombonera. The stadium erupted in fury after Claudio Úbeda decided to take out Changuito Zeballos, who was the team's best player at the time.

Just like in the match against Argentinos Juniors, the Xeneize coach once again made mistakes from the bench. While in the previous match he was saved by the team's early goal, this time, the substitution of the striker from Santiago backfired.

Úbeda and the answers after Boca's tough elimination. Photo: Getty Images.

He was being a game-changer, had just beaten a man with pure speed, and seemed to be the only attacking option for the club from La Ribera, especially considering the very poor performances of Milton Giménez and Miguel Merentiel. However, Sifón Úbeda decided to take him off the field to bring on Alan Velasco, who hadn't played in a long time and only returned to training this week.

After the elimination against La Academia, Claudio Úbeda explained the substitution of the ‘7’, which drew criticism from all the fans and from Leandro Paredes, who couldn't believe it. “From the bench we saw signs that he was tired and we made the decision to take him out. If we look back at the previous three games, he was also substituted in the final minutes and put in a huge effort every time he was on the pitch. That's why we made that decision.” he said at the press conference.

The truth is that Zeballos' exit affected Boca's game. The team was left without a reference in attack. Velasco couldn't fulfill the same role and this benefited Racing, who took advantage to go ahead. They only had to hold on to the result to secure qualification.

Now, Úbeda will have a meeting with Juan Román Riquelme to determine what will happen with his future. For now, the defeat does not seem to be a deciding factor and everything indicates that he will remain on the bench at La Bombonera in 2026.

Cavani injured again?

In previous matches, Edinson Cavani came off the bench to get back into rhythm, little by little, due to a right psoas injury that had been bothering him. In fact, this week, he reduced his workload to avoid a relapse and to be available against Racing.

But, surprisingly, during the warm-up on the sideline, the Uruguayan left the group, approached Úbeda, and stayed on the bench, not returning to the field. Regarding this, the coach explained that the Matador suffered a new injury: “We had sent him to warm up to come on for Giménez, but he felt discomfort in his back. He came over and told us he felt pain in the lumbar area, so we didn't make that substitution.”

Keep reading:

Boca player ratings in the loss to Racing

Not even Paredes understood: the gesture against Úbeda for Zeballos' substitution

Goodbye 2025: Boca eliminated by Racing and another year without titles

Boca vs Racing LIVE, for the Torneo Clausura semifinal

Boca's lineup vs Racing for the Torneo Clausura semifinal

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