Galván's bombshell, Unión tried to avoid the drop v Colón in 2013 | OneFootball

In the lead-up to the clash between Unión and Estudiantes de La Plata, an authoritative voice burst onto the scene. Diego Galván, who played for both clubs, spoke with Dial Deportivo (UNO 106.3) and made statements that did not go unnoticed, especially when recalling Tatengue’s relegation in the 2012/2013 season.

Based in Viedma for years, where he continues his coaching career, Galván looked back on his present, his career path and, above all, that critical moment that left a mark on Unión.

A confession that shakes the memory of Unión’s relegation

When referring to that end of the championship, the former midfielder was blunt: “There were many things people don’t know about in those last three matches”, he began.

He then went deeper with a phrase that caused an impact: “We could have won the match against San Lorenzo. We were down 0-2, we made it 2-2 and we could have won it, but we ended up losing 4-2. After the equalizer, things happened…”.

In that sense, he hinted at a delicate internal situation: “The group was divided. Some thought one thing and the rest of us wanted something else. There was fear of being relegated against Colón”, he said.

He even went further by suggesting that fear may have affected the team’s performance: “The issue was not to be relegated in the penultimate matchday against Colón. I didn’t want that, I wanted to win”, he stressed.

The derby that marked the end

In the end, Unión were relegated at the Nuevo Gasómetro, before playing the Clásico Santafesino against Colón. That match, already after relegation had been confirmed, was won 1-0 with a goal by Damián Lizio at the 15 de Abril stadium, with no fans in attendance due to security restrictions.

For Galván, that ending left a bitter feeling: “I’ve always gone forward, I never liked going backward. We had the team to win those matches”, he insisted.

His view on today’s football and his present

Beyond the controversy, the former player also spoke about his present as a coach, having settled in the south of the country a decade ago. There he found peace and a new stage linked to football from a different role.

On today’s game, he offered a reflection: “Today football is very physical, but there’s little play. I like my teams to press, but also to play and get a lot of players forward in attack”, he explained.

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