Jorge Bava, the Uruguayan manager who guided Independiente Santa Fe to the Liga BetPlay 2025-I championship, is the leading candidate to become Junior de Barranquilla’s next head coach for the 2027 season, and he would reportedly arrive with three players who won that title under his command, according to reports from Colombian media.
Three Champions From Santa Fe
The trio includes Harold Santiago Mosquera, Yilmar Velásquez, and Ewil Murillo. Mosquera, a 31-year-old forward, has struggled to settle at Cerro Porteño in Paraguay and has been limited by injuries, preventing him from reproducing the form he showed at Santa Fe. Velásquez, a midfielder, was separated from the Santa Fe squad following alleged disagreements with current coach Pablo Repetto and has not played since August 2026, though he was a regular starter for Bava’s 2025 championship team. Murillo, a 26-year-old midfielder who played a key role in Santa Fe’s tenth league title, has also been marginalized under Repetto. Velásquez still belongs to Santa Fe, and Junior has not yet opened negotiations with him, though Bava knows the midfielder’s abilities and could include him in his sporting project.
Focus Shifts to 2027 Copa Libertadores
Junior, which entered the 2026-II tournament as the reigning two-time Colombian champion after winning titles at the end of 2025 and mid-2026, was eliminated by Llaneros, who sealed the knockout with a 3-2 victory at the Bello Horizonte – Rey Pelé stadium. The club will close the championship against Deportivo Pasto and Cúcuta Deportivo, and in the elimination match Pablo Ortiz was cautioned for protesting while Meza received a yellow card for a foul on Jermain Peña. While Sebastián Viera remains the current coach and no official announcement has been made, reports suggest negotiations with Bava are in their final stages. Journalist Carlos Antonio Vélez revealed that Gustavo Costas will not take the job, adding that the candidate near signing is a foreigner who currently manages no team and has prior experience in Colombian football. According to Vélez, Junior has held several meetings with the strategist and both sides have reached agreement points, with only the exchange of signed documents remaining. “The Junior coach must be signed today or tomorrow,” the journalist stated. Viera, who took over after Alfredo Arias and holds a contract until December, has managed 12 matches with three wins, five draws and four defeats, and was reportedly tasked with cleansing the squad for a more experienced manager in 2027. The 45-year-old coach, who has seven titles in his managerial career—including the Colombian league with Santa Fe, a Paraguayan title with Cerro Porteño at the end of 2025, and five championships with Liverpool of Uruguay between 2022 and 2023—is currently without a club.
Directors Clash over Preferred Candidates
According to journalist Felipe Sierra, the board is split: some directors favor Bava, others want Arturo Reyes, while a third group prefers the continuity of Viera. Former goalkeeper Iván René Valenciano, speaking on Caracol Radio’s El Vbar, said Juan Carlos Osorio and Reinaldo Rueda would be the best options for the rojiblanco. Separately, the Barranquilla program Habla Deportes reported on November 3, 2026, details of a possible approach to Costas, the two-time Colombian champion.
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