The story of Franco Alfonso and Joaquín Panichelli, Gallardo’s two young bets in the face of the large number of casualties in River

“Whenever I tried to add a young Reserve footballer it was because I understood that he was to be called, because he was prepared. Maybe I’m wrong: there have been other emergencies like Covid that we had to call footballers who weren’t fully prepared. But within the normal processes it is not good to call a player who I consider today is not prepared to assume that role, ”was the phrase he outlined Marcelo Gallardo after the victory against San Lorenzo.

The Millionaire, facing the duel this Saturday, from 18, against Talleres de Córdoba in the Monumental, will have a large number of casualties. The technical director will not be able to count on Franco Armani (called up to the Argentine national team), Paulo Díaz (called up by Eduardo Berizzo to play with Chile), Nicolás De La Cruz (Uruguayan national team), Robert Rojas (fractured tibia and fibula), Rodrigo Aliendro (fractured facial mass with sinking malar), Felipe Peña Biafore (bone edema in his left knee), Andrés Herrera (expelled) and Enzo Pérez (limited yellow cards).

Faced with this adverse scenario, the coach chose to call for the first time two of the main jewels of the quarry and of great performance in the Joanthan La Rosa Reserve to a match of the professional squad. It’s about the midfielder Franco Alfonso and striker Joaquín Panichelli.

The offensive midfielder, who at the beginning of this year signed his first professional contract with the club until December 2023 (has a termination clause of 15 million dollars), was born on May 4, 2002 and can perform both as a hitch and as a striker. midfielder on the right or left.

The native of Morón began his path in this sport in the baby of the El Porvenir de Castelar club. After a frustrated passage through the Vélez children’s, the Millionaire crossed his path. “One day I played a game against River and they told me if I didn’t want to come and try myself. That was in 2015, Gustavo Fermani and Juanjo Borrelli saw me. I stayed 3 days and they booked me. I played hitch and then I became a midfielder on the left and now in the Sixth, on the right. Here in River it is something else. You have to play well and always go out to win”, the Midget explained a few years ago in dialogue with the club’s official website.

Alfonso, who has accumulated 11 goals in 56 games in the Reserve, has as his main desires “to debut and win the Copa Libertadores”, he could fulfill part of his dream on Saturday at the Antonio Vespucio Liberti. “My idol is Messi, and from River I like Juanfer Quintero, he has a vision of the game and a punch that I love. In my position, Palacios. Also Hazard, I try to copy things from everyone and then I try to do them on the pitch”, confessed the 20-year-old.

“Gallardo is very demanding, he won the Libertadores against Boca and he is not satisfied. He always goes for more. That motivates me and makes me want to sacrifice myself to play in the First Division”, he commented.

Striker Joaquín Panichelli, for his part, will have a great opportunity to change his destiny, since he still does not have a professional contract and could be released in a few months. The attacker born in Córdoba on October 7, 2002 (19 years old) has just marked the Ciclón last Monday under the watchful eye of the Doll. The striker accumulates 14 cries in 55 games in the Reserve.

The scorer arrived at River Plate in February 2020, just after having trained for a month on trial in Boca. Although Xeneize had the intention of signing him, he did not reach an agreement with Atalaya de Córdoba (the same institution that had Julián Álvarez). Before he had worn the colors of Racing de Nueva Italia (from 6 to 13) and Belgrano. However, the premiere of him with the red band crossed on his chest was long in coming. When the first date of the tournament was going to be played, everything was suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The young man came to Núñez as a hitch, but Jonathan La Rosa, DT of the Reserve and brother-in-law of Marcelo Gallardo, was the one who positioned him as an attacker. “I had to change a lot, because when you play hitch you usually have the court in front of you. Now, as a striker, I have to play more with my back to the goal. My characteristic is to move around the entire attack front, shoot diagonals and always be close to the goal. I like the challenge of playing 9″, commented the Cordovan, whose mirrors are the French Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud.

Panichelli is a surname that seeks revenge at the club. Germán, his father, exploded at the Córdoba Institute and was one of the bets of the Núñez entity to reinforce César Luis Menotti’s team; however, during the preseason, he suffered a knee injury and never made his debut in the First Division.

“The debut is like fulfilling a life goal, more so in River. Close a stage to start a new one. I am calm and focused on the day to day, I do not rush. The moment comes alone. Everything would be for my mom, Alejandra, my dad and my brothers Patricio, Valentino and my grandmother Sabina to enjoy, ”he outlined.

Those summoned from River before Workshops:

Archers: Ezequiel Centurión and Franco Petroli.

Defenders: Jonatan Maidana, Javier Pinola, Héctor David Martínez, Emanuel Mammana, Leandro González Pirez, Milton Casco and Elías Gómez.

Midfielders: Bruno Zuculini, Agustin Palavecino, Juan Fernando Quintero, James Simon, Jose Paradela, Thomas Pochettino and Franco Alfonso.

Forwards: Pablo Solari, Miguel Borja, Esequiel Barco, Matías Suárez and Joaquín Panichelli.

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