River 2026: Technical department in doubt, questions arise | OneFootball

The new management of Stefano di Carlo will have to define how the roles will be divided between Marcelo Gallardo's coaching staff and the club's own department, currently managed by Enzo Francescoli and Leonardo Ponzio.

These are very turbulent days at River following the end of a year to forget. The team lost everything it played without competing, and Marcelo Gallardo's image, until now impeccable, suffered an unexpected wear. The new president, Stefano di Carlo, guaranteed his continuity, but given the poor results, some things might change in 2026. Among them, the role and even the existence of the Technical Secretariat: could it disappear next year?

From the day he launched his candidacy and anticipated that “obviously the leadership and the CEO of the football area is Marcelo Gallardo, totally and exclusively” to the afternoon he asserted that “no one has the keys to the club” before the Superclásico, only two months passed, but also a long list of failures. The change of stance occurred before the defeat against Boca, when the successor of Jorge Brito felt the need to reaffirm the coach in his position, but also to set boundaries.

In that period, after defeating Estudiantes, the Millonario played nine matches: lost six (seven, counting the penalties with Independiente Rivadavia) and was eliminated from the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Argentina. Then came the defeat at the Bombonera and the recent elimination from the Torneo Clausura against Racing. Crushing results that marked a very negative cycle.

This context explains the doubts about the Technical Secretariat. The department currently led by Enzo Francescoli, assisted by Leonardo Ponzio, had very little influence since Gallardo's return. In fact, the Millonario idol himself had said: “At River, football is very vertical, and all decisions are made by Marcelo Gallardo”.

With an increasingly decorative role, since this year the negotiations, renewals, reinforcements, everything was in the hands of the Muñeco and Mariano Barnao, the coach's trusted man and the Club's Football Manager, it seemed almost certain that the Uruguayan would end his stage at the club with the end of the D’Onofrio-Brito era.

Now, with the results in and the very poor performance of many of the new faces requested and brought in by the coach and his right-hand man, a huge question mark opens in Núñez. Although he hasn't said it publicly, Enzo continues with the idea of leaving his position after 12 years, and Ponzio, key in the coach's glorious cycle, might follow suit. Even so, Di Carlo wants the club to regain ground in this area and Gallardo would like to maintain his, but his terrible year has weakened him.

It's hard to imagine a River with the Muñeco where he doesn't have the final say. However, they would be working on this new dynamic. In a club going through a critical moment, all kinds of versions have emerged: from the Technical Secretariat remaining unchanged, to the possible arrival of David Trezeguet to replace Francescoli, to the coach continuing to be the CEO mentioned by Di Carlo.

The truth is that everything that was certain a few months ago has turned into uncertainty. For the first time since his arrival at the club in 2014, Gallardo could face conditions on his continuity. Nonetheless, his relationship with the president is excellent, probably better than he had with D’Onofrio and Brito, and there is optimism that everything can be resolved harmoniously. The coming days will be full of strong decisions, and this will be one of them.

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