Gallardo announces River exit, Crespo tipped as possible successor | OneFootball

On Monday, Marcelo Gallardo announced that he will be stepping down as head coach of River Plate. The Argentine manager communicated his departure through a video posted on the club’s social media, in which he stated that he will coach his last game for the team this Thursday, against Banfield, at the Monumental, at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), for the Argentine Championship. According to the newspaper Olé, Hernán Crespo, currently at São Paulo, is one of the main candidates to succeed him.

“This is a message for all River fans. I will try to be brief so as not to be overtaken by the emotion and the pain that comes with announcing that Thursday will be my last match. I have only words of gratitude, especially to this great club and its fans, for the unconditional love throughout all these years, even in the most delicate moments, like this one, when things clearly did not go as we had planned,” he said.

“I feel pain in my soul for not being able to achieve the objectives. I simply want to thank those who truly believed in me, my entire coaching staff, for representing this great institution, with everything that entails. I have only words of gratitude for everyone,” he added.

Thus, this Thursday will mark the end of Gallardo’s second spell at River, during which he was unable to replicate the success of his first tenure. Between 2014 and 2022, the Argentine led the team to titles in the Libertadores (2), Sudamericana, Recopa (3), Argentine Championship, Argentine Supercup (2), Copa Argentina (3), and Trofeo de Campeones. However, after his return in 2024, the team was unable to win any trophies.

“I offer only my reciprocal love to all the fans and I hope, with all my heart, that this institution, which has grown enormously in recent years, will soon achieve good football results to further enhance what River represents as an institution in the world,” he concluded.

Crespo among the options

With the Argentine’s departure, River Plate is already considering names to take over as the team’s coach. São Paulo’s manager, Hernán Crespo, who has already played for the club as a player, was mentioned by Olé as one of the possible replacements for Gallardo. In addition to him, Real Madrid’s Director of Professional Football, Santiago Solari, is also an option.

Other names being considered are: Ariel Holan (former Santos), Coudet (former Internacional and Atlético-MG), Gabriel Milito (former Atlético-MG), Pablo Aimar, and Ramón Díaz (former Corinthians and Internacional).

River’s next match

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