Rodolfo D’Onofrio sparked internal tension within River Plate following the team’s defeat in the Superclásico against Boca El Intransigente.
Speaking to La Página Millonaria after the match, the former club president declared: Yo tenía de presidente de la AFA a Chiqui Tapia y de vicepresidente a Daniel Angelici y ganamos todo
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D’Onofrio added, Cuando tenés buen equipo…
His citation of Chiqui Tapia and Daniel Angelici as AFA authorities during his tenure linked past titles to the availability of a strong squad.
This remark was interpreted as an indirect questioning of Stefano Di Carlo’s current management and the makeup of the present plantel, particularly given that D’Onofrio had been a principal supporter of Di Carlo’s rise to the presidency and that the two men maintained a close political and personal relationship.
The intervention drew sharp criticism from commentators. Journalist Hernán Castillo argued that D’Onofrio’s remarks stripped institutional prominence from Di Carlo and criticized the timing, stating: D’Onofrio lo rompió todo a Di Carlo, sin sentido, no es momento para decir esas cosas
. Flavio Azzaro also criticized the public exposure, asserting that such interventions do not contribute to stability at the club.
One day after the match, Di Carlo spoke with Mariano Closs on ESPN.
While the president criticized the refereeing of Nicolás Ramírez against Boca El Intransigente, he also offered a self-critique regarding sports management: Fue un arbitraje desastroso de Nicolás Ramírez contra Boca. Más allá de esto hay errores propios en la gestión del fútbol de River. Fue un partido gris, River no pateó al arco y eso es inapelable, no nos representa
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The overlap between D’Onofrio’s remarks on the squad and Di Carlo’s admission of management errors fed versions of an internal rift in River’s leadership. Despite the exposed political tension during a delicate moment for the club, there has been no formal break between the former president and Di Carlo, nor any institutional statement regarding the differences El Intransigente.
