05/18/2021 20:10
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 05/18/2021 20:10
"Slave of words"
is a phrase that hits hard in the River environment today with respect to what was held at the club last year.
In September,
Marcelo Gallardo
stated at a press conference that it was absurd to complete Conmebol's bona fide list with the 50 players that were allowed.
And that decision today is regretted.
River is suffering a massive outbreak of Covid-19, so it had to choose to put boys from the youth teams in the Superclásico against Boca and, now, it will have to cope with the 10 available players it has, without a goalkeeper, to face Independiente Santa Fe for Copa Libertadores in search of qualification for the round of 16.
Why was such a scenario arrived at?
At the time, the coach chose to summon 32 players to make up the list to play the Cup, thus leaving 18 free places that today would serve him to complete a team, have a goalkeeper and a bench of substitutes.
On September 15, 2020, when Conmebol opened the possibility of expanding the list due to the possibility that a team suffers an outbreak of infections on its campus, Gallardo opposed the idea and declared it emphatically in a press conference.
"I work with a professional group of no more than 30 players. And then, to the possibilities that Conmebol gave us to add 10 places (last year there were first 40 and then it was expanded to 50),
it seemed absurd to me
," he began saying the Doll in his talk with journalists.
And then he expanded: "First, because I don't have more than 30 players working with me; second, because the youth who joined started training a week ago and I wasn't going to give them a false illusion because they are not yet to make a list for a competition. so important and prestigious. And third, because I am not going to put them
.
And if at some point there is an episode that indicates that we are exposed to a massive contagion, it
will be because we do not have to play,
"he said.
Most of the clubs that play the Libertadores made use of that possibility that Conmebol allowed.
Racing, for example, reached that figure of 50 players authorized to play in case of need.
In September, Gallardo thought it was absurd to add River junior footballers to the list: "Who can think of exposing boys to professionals? To the clubs that have the possibility to do so, I respect them. Now they have expanded the quoted 50. And where did he get 50 footballers? I am not going to look for boys to the 8th and 9th division to complete the Conmebol list.
It is abnormal and I take charge of my decision,
"concluded the DT, that this At the weekend, however, he turned to Alan Leonardo Díaz, a youth goalkeeper without a contract or minutes in the Reserve, to save in the Superclásico.
And it was the figure of the field.
Look also
Mouth: all swabs were negative, but as a precaution they suspended the concentration
Conmebol rejected River's request: Gallardo has only 11 footballers and Enzo Pérez would go to the goal
Mario Pergolini's mockery of Marcelo Gallardo after Conmebol's "no" to River