Paredes on the blow at La Bombonera: “It hurts badly” | OneFootball

The Xeneize captain spoke after the defeat to Universidad Católica and admitted the team did not meet its objectives for the semester.

Leandro Paredes, Boca captain and icon, delivered a harsh self-criticism after the crushing defeat to Universidad Católica at La Bombonera and the early elimination in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. The Xeneize finished third in its group and dropped into the Sudamericana playoffs.

“We didn’t achieve the objectives we had. It hurts. We had high hopes of competing for this tournament. The previous one too. Now we have to think about what’s next and be self-critical. Clearly, we weren’t up to the task. We have to think about what comes next,” the midfielder said.

He also referred to the meeting with Juan Román Riquelme in the dressing room after the debacle at La Bombonera. “We always talk, we talk a lot with the president. We’re aware that we have to improve, to grow, because clearly this way we can’t achieve what we want,” was all he revealed. According to TyC Sports, the meeting lasted around 20 minutes.

Paredes also said that at no point was he told the head coach would be leaving his post, although it is a fact that Riquelme will not renew his contract: “We didn’t talk about that. Those are decisions the club has to make with Claudio. We’re not the ones who make that decision. We’re thinking about the fact that it wasn’t enough, that we weren’t up to the task. We have to improve for what’s coming.”

On the other hand, the midfielder — who will join the Argentina national team for the 2026 World Cup — admitted he had a physical issue, although it would not be serious. “I had been carrying a hamstring strain during the week, but there was no way I was going to miss this match. I wasn’t going to come off. The coach asked me to tell him the truth, to come off, to take care of myself, because I had important things to play for. This wasn’t the kind of match to sit out,” he said.

“We’ve had very little luck. In the last home matches, whether against Huracán, Cruzeiro, or today as well... Cruzeiro got one chance and scored, and today too. They had one shot and scored”, the midfielder argued. And he concluded: “These aren’t excuses, but we’re getting very little luck.”

Boca suffered another major blow at home in 2026: it had already been eliminated in the Apertura round of 16 by Huracán, and now it bowed out of the Libertadores in the group stage, also at La Bombonera.

This defeat, which cost Claudio Úbeda his job, sent the team into the Sudamericana Playoffs. O’Higgins will be its opponent in that round. The first leg at La Bombonera will be played between Tuesday, July 21 and Thursday, July 23 (immediately after the World Cup, with the final scheduled for Sunday the 19th), while the second leg will be played in Rancagua, Chile, the following week, from July 27 to 29.

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