The list of candidates to replace Hugo Ibarra as Boca Juniors coach: the three most interesting names

The Boca Juniors Football Council decided to end Hugo Benjamín Ibarra’s cycle as coach. Was Chicho Serna the one in charge of making the news known: “The entire board of directors and the Football Council have made the determination that this coaching staff does not continue anymore. We are very grateful, but we are here to make decisions. We are still very close friends, we love you very much. We had made that decision, ”he stressed.

After qualifying for the round of 16 of the Argentine Cup last Saturday due to the victory against Olimpo de Bahía Blanca and on the eve of the start of the Copa Libertadores, the board of directors xeneize he will look for a replacement to draw up compromises with a new leader. On the move, thinking about the commitment next Saturday for the Professional League against Barracas Central (it will be from 3:30 p.m. at the Claudio chiki Tapia), the interim will be Mariano Herron (DT of the Reserve).

Ibarra’s cycle had been worn out despite the fact that he won the Argentine Super Cup against Patronato de Paraná a few weeks ago. After that, the team was far from showing its best version: it drew goalless against Defensa y Justicia, lost against Banfield and also against Instituto de Córdoba. The DT sought to twist the story and had a face-to-face talk with the squad, where he sought to reverse a situation that seemed defined. After qualifying against Olympus, the 48-year-old from Formosa again referred to the rumors of his continuity: “I came to direct, if you have information, talk to the informants. My obligation is to be in front of the group and play against Olimpo and we did it. I’m not impromptu, I lived in this club for many years, that’s up to you, talk to each other and solve problems among yourselves.

Today the evening training that was scheduled after the open-door practice this morning in Ezeiza was suspended (officially it was reported that it was due to a road accident that complicated access to the property in the area) and, after the arrival of Juan Román Riquelme to the country after his excursion through Villarreal and Asunción, where he witnessed the match of legends of the Spanish team and the draw of the Libertadores in Paraguay, the Football Council made the determination to cease in office at Negro.

The numbers of Ibarra’s cycle as Boca coach indicate that he led a total of 36 games (not counting the one in Olimpo), with 20 wins, 7 draws and 9 losses, thus maintaining a 62% effectiveness rate. Hand in hand with him, Boca scored 44 goals and conceded 33, while he was left with the only Superclásico he witnessed: 1-0 in the last Professional League, at La Bombonera, with a goal by Darío Benedetto. The two titles that the Negro (Professional League 2022 and Argentine Super Cup 2023) placed him on the podium of former players and coaches with the most trophies in history: Sebastián Battaglia leads with 19, Guillermo Barros Schelotto with 18 and the Formoseño with 17.

Unlike other occasions in which the replacement for the outgoing coach came from the Reserve (it happened with Sebastián Battaglia for Miguel Ángel Russo and Hugo Ibarra himself for Battaglia), now the coach would not be from the Ribera kidney. There are three names that came forward to take the reins of the Boquense squad in case Ibarra’s stay does not prosper: Gerardo Martino, Jose Nestor Pekerman and Diego Martinez.

He Tata He parted ways with the Mexico team after participating in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, in which the Tri he was eliminated in the group stage. He is currently in Rosario awaiting a job opportunity, although he would not be entirely determined to return to the ring soon, without the possibility of putting together a squad since the beginning of the season and with a tournament as important as the Copa Libertadores ahead. about to start A call from Riquelme may be essential to convince him. As Infobae was able to find out, it is difficult for the former coach of Barcelona and the Argentine team to take over Boca at this time.

Pekerman has just been fired from the Venezuelan team: from directive red wine they let it be seen that there were actions that did not live up to the respect demanded by his national cast and for that reason they removed him from his position (Fernando took his position Again Batista, who belonged to his coaching staff). José has always had Riquelme as a pamper since his time as coach of the Under 20 National Team and in fact together they became champions in the Mundialito in Malaysia in 1997. In addition, they lived together in the 2006 World Cup in Germany with the Major, plus the process of Qualifiers that preceded it.

The third person involved is the only one who has a job, but he is also a man who is highly regarded by the Council. This is the coach of Tigre, who promoted the Victoria team to the First Division and in the past went through the lower ranks of Boca (he knows several of the current youth players on the squad). Seems hard to execute an exit from the Matador having a current contract, although they do not rule out engaging in talks with a board with which Riquelme has dealt on good terms in recent markets. The current commitments and the imminent start of the Tigrense team in the Copa Sudamericana threaten Boca’s chances.

There are other names that run from behind, although it would not be unreasonable for them to appear on the Council’s radar. Marcelo Bielsa seems like an impossible dream: the Loco He sounded in several teams in England and he would have decided to return to directing in the Old Continent (despite the interest of the Uruguayan team, who for now has not defined whether he will replace Diego Alonso, keep the interim Marcelo Broli or go for another DT) . In case of Facundo Savarecent Argentine Cup champion with the Paraná Board, is also complex because he has just signed a contract with Cerro Porteño, which he qualified for the Copa Libertadores (the Colorado He played with Riquelme in his early days as a player and has another man linked to the xeneize as Victor Marchesini). Finally, Alexander Medinarecently fired from Vélez, can become a drinkable alternative, although from his environment they trusted that he will seek to take a few months before directing again.

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