The incident occurred on Saturday, November 7, 2026, during the team’s pre-match meal at their hotel in Alta Córdoba ahead of their 2-2 draw with Instituto.
As players watched the conclusion of the Primera División season, the agonic goal by Enner Valencia for Boca sparked a strong reaction. The footage, which quickly went viral, shows Newell’s players jumping, hugging, removing their shirts, and climbing onto tables and chairs in apparent delight.
The reaction was not for a personal triumph but for the manner in which the title slipped away from Rosario Central, their long-standing rival from the city of Rosario. The celebration specifically targeted Central’s failure to clinch the title, a situation that became a reality when Valencia scored against Defensa y Justicia, Diario El Día de La Plata noted.
“The celebration did not correspond to a coronation of their own, but to the way the title escaped on the hour from their rival for all life,” the outlet described the scene, highlighting the deep-seated rivalry that fueled the backlash against the players’ actions. The video’s circulation on social media ignited a strong controversy, drawing criticism even from some of Newell’s own supporters, according to Infocielo.
Hours after the match, Regiardo addressed the media to publicly condemn his team’s actions. He issued an apology on behalf of the squad and the institution.
“I wanted to apologize on behalf of my teammates and the institution for the video that circulated on social networks.”
TODO EL PLANTEL DE NEWELL’S SE JUNTÓ A VER LA DEFINICIÓN DE LA ANUAL Y ASÍ GRITARON EL GOL DE BOCA. TREMENDO. 😅🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/kRyI6tS6d0
The players had gathered in their hotel before traveling to the stadium for their match against Instituto. When Valencia’s goal went in, the team, which was already preparing to depart for the Monumental de Alta Córdoba, erupted in cheers.
The outlet described the scene as “a joy that was evident on the faces of the players before getting on the bus, minutes after what happened in the heart-stopping triple definition.”
La Capital confirmed that the celebration was triggered by Enner Valencia’s specific goal, which came from a long rebound from Defensa y Justicia goalkeeper Matías Borgogno. The goal sealed the title for Boca and denied it to Central, prompting the Newell’s players’ reaction.
“While the team of Ariel Pereyra prepares for a decisive match in its fight for the title, its next rival arrives in La Plata with noise around the squad and a situation that the leadership and players will seek to resolve internally,” Infocielo reported, framing the apology as an attempt to manage the fallout and refocus on football.
Regiardo, while acknowledging the need to address the situation internally, also looked ahead to the team’s playoff ambitions. “We are going to fight for everything,” he said, as reported by La Capital. The team secured their place in the decisive phase, and now their focus shifts to the challenge ahead.
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