Kily González wants Boca job, reveals talks with Riquelme | OneFootball

Amid Boca’s search for a new head coach, Kily González gave an interview in which he did not dodge the question about his desire to sit on the Xeneize bench. He also shared details about his close relationship with Juan Román Riquelme and analyzed the enormous pressure that comes with managing the biggest team in the country.

In the always demanding and high-profile “Boca World,” the names of possible coaches are constantly floating through the halls of La Bombonera. This time, it was Cristian Kily González himself who, in an interview with ESPN, made it clear that wearing the blue-and-gold team’s coach’s tracksuit is one of his biggest professional goals.

With his usual bluntness, Kily did not hide his feelings when he was directly asked whether he wanted to manage Xeneize, the club where he left his mark during his time as a player in the 1990s. “Yes, I was lucky enough to play for that club, which is wonderful. So, how could it not move you?” the coach admitted, making it clear that his sense of belonging remains intact.

Kily González’s comments about managing Boca. Source: ESPN Argentina.

However, when talking about the many times his name has appeared on the radar as a candidate, González chose to downplay the media speculation, pointing to football journalism’s usual chatter: “Every time I look and they say, ‘Kily is to Riquelme’s liking,’ it’s all just football biri biri.”

Kily González and his relationship with Riquelme

Beyond denying that there are formal negotiations every time his name comes up, the coach confirmed that he maintains a direct and frequent line of communication with the club’s current president, Juan Román Riquelme. His friendship with the Xeneize idol is well known, but Kily made sure to reaffirm it, even sharing a curious anecdote about his last visit to the stadium.

“I always talk with Román. I went to the last Boca-River at Boca’s stadium and everything, on the down low, tucked away, hidden, because otherwise they say you’re going there to undermine someone,” he confessed with a laugh, referring to the need to keep a low profile so as not to spark false rumors about a supposed intention to push out whoever was in charge at the time.

Knowing the club inside out, González went deeper into what it means to take on such a challenge. For him, the key is not only tactical—it is mainly about having the mental strength to withstand public exposure and constant criticism.

Kily at La Bombonera when he visited Xeneize as Unión’s head coach. Photo: Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images.

“Of course you have to know it very deeply. You walk down the street and there are Boca and River fans everywhere, so you have to be very prepared to take it on, and above all you have to have it here,” he explained, pointing to his head.

Along those same lines, he stressed the importance of shutting out outside noise and sports media, using well-known TV hosts as examples: “With a lot of personality, with a lot of presence, let’s say—you can’t be looking to see what Vignolo says: ‘Uh, he’s taking shots at me,’ or what Mariano says: ‘He’s killing me.’ It’s very difficult, you have to try to isolate yourself,” he concluded.

Keep reading:

Rodolfo Arruabarrena would be the leading candidate to replace Úbeda at Boca

With Flores unstoppable, Boca’s reserve team cruised to a big win and has one foot in the quarterfinals

Dates and kickoff times confirmed for Boca vs. O'Higgins in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana

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