Zeballos Reacts: Ubeda Change Sparks Debate – Olé

Disconsolate. So he left Exequiel Zeballosthe playing field of candy boxafter the defeat of Boca against Racing. Edinson Cavani, one of the role models who protects and pampers him every day, came up to hug him. The same goes for the Colombian Duvan Vergara when he saw how he was left crestfallen. . His departure after 70 minutes was inexplicable to everyone and everyone. And it hit him hard, as he conveyed in his first words after the controversial change of Claudio Ubeda.

Chango was just in his best version. Fixed as a starter after a long time. Or like rarely. Because of that explosive comeback a few days ago, his great superclassic as a starter and the importance within the team that seemed to take flight thanks to the Siphon. He wanted like no one else to become champion feeling important. The blow, then, was stronger for all of Boca in general but much more so for him in particular.

“It was that dream match that one always hopes for: first time starting against River, a goal at the end of the first half, an assist at the beginning of the second, the plays that came my way, the qualification for the Copa Libertadores, the ovation from the public, all together in one afternoon. One sometimes does not realize what this means. You need time to assimilate it“, he had said previously, in an interview with the club’s official magazine.

Zeballos was the best on the team when the coaching staff decided to replace him even though there were other candidates to leavecase of Milton Giménez, Carlos Palacios and even Miguel Merentiel. The doubt of Ubeda and Juvenal Rodríguez was exposed in a video in which they mention several of them, but finally the coach leans towards Changuito seeing him “tired.”

Boca fans were holding their heads in the stands. Paredes opened his arms in a clear gesture of discontent and annoyance at the decision. And all of Racing, grateful, as Gustavo Costas and several players recognized after the game. “It was a change in favor,” Gabriel Rojas said..

Even his entourage reacted after the game. “I wasn’t tired… Everything was dull”wrote a friend of his on social networks.

El Chango did not speak in La Bombonera, he did speak later through his social networks, in a post that had black and white photos. “Very sad for not reaching the goal with my teammates that we loved so much but proud that we left everything to be able to achieve it,” he started.

And then he looked forward, with very clear words: “Now let’s get up and keep working because we have a year ahead full of goals to achieve. Thank you to all the people for the love and support at all times.”

The reaction of the fans did not take long to arrive, with messages that were all of total confidence. Many gave him encouragement, telling him that he has nothing to apologize for. Others pointing directly to change. “There is no person in the world who, seeing how you come and the game you were playing, will take you out, except the coach we have. We love you,” wrote one fan. “The most absurd change in Argentine football, no one understood it, not even the Racing coach himself. Let’s go Zeballos!” added another. And so more than 5,000 comments.