“That’s right, Román.” The phrase of Jorge Almiron It does not admit of any kind of analysis. He stopped being the coach of Mouth and this was communicated to the vice president Juan Roman Riquelme. It all happened shortly after xeneizes arrived in Buenos Aires, after losing the final of Libertadores Cup against Fluminenseat Maracana.
The team left Rio de Janeiro just after noon on Sunday. He landed in Ezeiza and went to the Boca complex near the airport. In the privacy of concentration, Riquelme gathered the players, thanked them for restoring the enthusiasm of the Boca fans, stressed to them that he did not like all the poor production in the League Cup and taught them that they should be Cup champions Argentina.
After that conversation, Almirón asked to speak with Román and the Football Council. At that meeting, the coach presented his resignation. Riquelme asks him to think about it. But this is an irreversible decision. The last phrase came: “It doesn’t go on, Román.” The club officially announced it on its social networks at 11pm on Sunday, and at 3am on Spanish Monday.
Almirón left with only 49% efficiency (17 wins, 13 draws and 13 losses). He lost two Superclásicos with River without scoring any goals. He has won just 3 of the last 20 games. And in the Libertadores he did not win any head-to-head keys: in all of them he went through penalties. In the Cup, the scorer is the right side marker: Luis Advíncula. All symptoms of a game that is never convinced and always provokes criticism.
After the defeat at the Maracaná, it appeared that some players were angry with the coach and questioned some decisions on substitutions. Is that why no footballer sat next to the former Elche coach at the post-match press conference, despite the fact that the regulations required it?
Boca, penultimate, has no chance of entering the playoffs
Now Boca is second to last with 11 points in Zone B of the League Cup. It is very difficult for them to qualify in the first four to play in the playoffs. But he still has two goals until the end of the year. The main one is to qualify for the Libertadores 2024. He can do it throughout the annual table: he will not play it today, but he will fit into that ranking if he beats San Lorenzo on Wednesday (mainly Mariano Herrón as provisional) . You can also get a passport if you are the champion of the Argentine Cup, a competition where xeneizes are in the semifinals.
Although it is clear that this will not continue in 2024, Almirón has reasons to fight until the end of the year. That’s why his resignation came as a surprise. Could it be because of something wrong with the players or to avoid possible insults to Bombonera? In time we will know.
He is the fourth coach Boca has lost since Riquelme became vice president. He dismissed Miguel Russo, Sebastián Battaglia and Hugo Ibarra. Almirón was the first to resign and left without winning any titles. Will Román dare to appoint a new coach even if the club renews its authorities on December 2? How much influence will this complicated scenario have on the election? It will be seen. Now what is certain is that the world of xeneize politics will raise the temperature.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
