Augusto Batalla and his curious reply on whether he'd answer Boca's call | OneFootball

While Boca’s starting goalkeeper today is Leandro Brey, the truth is that the serious injury suffered by Agustín Marchesín has led the Xeneize to start thinking about signing a reinforcement for that position ahead of the second half of the year. In that context, Augusto Batalla’s response came as a surprise. The former River goalkeeper, currently enjoying an excellent spell at Rayo Vallecano, despite having said in the past that he would never play for the club from La Ribera, this time left the door open when asked by TyC Sports: “I answer the phone for everyone.”

“It’s true that at one point I said I wouldn’t play for Boca or Huracán. But today I’ve got a few more gray hairs, I’m a little older, and I answer the phone for everyone, I listen and I evaluate. I’ll make the best decisions I believe are right for me, for my career, and for my family,” the player explained in an interview with TyC Sports, also referring to his time at San Lorenzo and the possibility of playing for El Globo.

In any case, the reality is that Batalla’s current situation in Spain could hardly be better, so a departure from Rayo Vallecano right now seems unthinkable. That, added to his past with the Millonario, seems to shut the door on the move despite his stance.

Still, Batalla is currently one of his team’s standout players, even saving a penalty against Racing Strasbourg in the 2-0 win that sent Rayo Vallecano through to the UEFA Conference League final, where they will face Crystal Palace. “Rayo Vallecano is like Defensa y Justicia when they reached the Copa Sudamericana final. With a neighborhood behind it, humble and hardworking people… It’s a very difficult achievement to accomplish,” the goalkeeper said about the feat, which was celebrated not only by the club’s fans but across all of Spain as well.

The latter is because Spain mathematically secured the fifth extra spot for the next edition of the UEFA Champions League. Spain’s club coefficient stands at 176.260, which means an average of 22.093 across its eight teams. Germany has 152.5, which gives it an average of 21.785 (divided among its seven representatives), so even with a Freiburg win in the Europa League final against Aston Villa, it would only reach 154.5 and an average of 22.07, below Spain’s current 22.09.

Betis are currently fifth in the La Liga standings, with a six-point lead over Celta de Vigo, who are sixth in the table. The other extra Champions League spot for 2026-27 had already been secured by England.

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