"Being on this pitch to which one has been coming for 63 years is motivating," says
Néstor Grindetti
sitting in the presidential box of the Libertadores de América-Ricardo Enrique Bochini stadium for the first time as president of Independiente.
On the field of play,
Ricardo Zielinski
carries out his first training session while the man who had to take over provisionally due to the abrupt resignation of
Fabián Doman
last Tuesday chats alone with
Clarín
.
"I am 68 years old and a 63-year-old partner. I used to come to the double-visor gallery with my old man. Later I had an audience, but I know all four sides. I used to come to the pool as a boy. We can spend the whole afternoon talking about the experiences that I remember In my house I have the seats of the stalls of my old man and mine, "says Grindetti, who had to request a license for 30 days as mayor of Lanús to become the storm pilot of a Red drowned by debts and sunk to the bottom from the table.
-Were you surprised by Doman's resignation?
-I was surprised.
I was not with him every day and it was a surprise.
The day he resigned he had medical issues and I had to rush out to organize an urgent Commission meeting because he understood that a responsibility fell on me.
I requested a license from the Municipality to dedicate myself to this.
With the leadership we work spectacularly.
We resolved the issue of the coach and that leaves us alone.
We solved the first task.
Grindetti chose Zielinski as DT and now he wants to solve the million-dollar debt with America from Mexico.
Photo: Fernando de la Orden
-When did you find out that Doman had resigned?
-I had an eye treatment and was in the operating room.
When I went out I looked at my watch, which is connected to the phone, and the first thing I saw was that Doman resigned.
I said “this is fake news”.
Then I realized that my phone was exploding.
-Could you talk to him?
No. He didn't call me and I was so involved in this... When things happen I look forward and solve problems.
That's it, that's it.
-Don't you think they should have a talk?
-In life you have to chat with everyone and I chat with everyone who wants to chat with me.
It seems to me that he has had some manifestations taking charge of some things that nobody understands why.
Today I don't have a huge desire to chat with him.
But if that's the case, I'll chat.
I had a very good relationship with him.
I always respected the figure of the president.
I fulfilled what I promised, which was to work on economic-financial issues.
Today Independiente is balanced.
-In what way is it balanced?
-He has his accounts balanced.
We got new income from sponsors that did not exist, we made 16,000 new members, box sales and subscriptions... Income against monthly expenses, today Independiente does not lose money.
If everything had continued as when we took office in December 2023, the club would owe 1,200 million pesos more.
That got cut.
Now you have to generate cash to pay the debt, of course.
-Doman spoke of the absence of an economic-financial project...
-Of course there is a project.
To be able to raise funds neatly, you have to set up a trust, to give peace of mind to those who want to help Independiente.
Arming well that is not easy.
Getting all the sponsorships that we have achieved with the help of the entire Commission and Cristian Ritondo... Our plan is being fulfilled.
I don't know why Doman says the plan didn't go through.
If it had not been carried out today, we would be losing one hundred million pesos per month.
"Today I don't have a huge desire to chat with Doman," Grindetti said.
-Santiago Maratea started a crusade to raise funds for the club, what do you think of that move?
-Maratea has many followers and I appreciate that you thought of Independiente.
It is his initiative and you have to let him do it.
We are not going to interfere.
He has to do his job transparently like he always does.
If it is effective, then we will see how we make sure together with him that the funds raised go to Independiente.
When he calls us we will participate.
-Your idea is to be a transitional president or could you analyze fulfilling the mandate until the end?
-Many things can happen in my political facet (Note: he intends to be a candidate for Governor of Buenos Aires).
I asked for 30 days to order this and we'll see.
What is sovereign is the Assembly.
After 63 years as a member, being president of Independiente is a kid's dream.
The Assembly will have to choose, but we must let things flow a little more.
-You had to fulfill the kid's dream in an unexpected way, at some point in your life did you plan to try to be president of Independiente or never?
-Of course one fantasizes about being in the highest position.
But I hadn't intended to now.
As vice president, I had the peace of mind that I could manage my time well.
-The fan is angry and afraid because the team is in very bad shape and close to last place, the bet on Stillitano went wrong, the news of the debts is still worrying and on top of that the president resigned. What do you say to people who don't see a way out?
-In life everything has a way out, with effort and with time.
Here there is a Commission that is at the forefront of the helm and that we have a clear outlook.
I understand that the fan bitches for his passionate side.
I can say to that fan: "Stay calm because there is a Commission here that is managing."
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
We will move forward.
-The national rift ends up getting into the club by political actors?
-We make efforts so that it is not like that.
It is true that for an observer from the outside it can be seen that it is.
We are not all from the Pro, there are other leaders with other political affiliations.
I can assure you that in discussions of club issues, politics does not get involved.
Why Zielinski?
-Zielinski has a very big peculiarity.
I really like coaching, motivation, group management and teamwork.
The Russian has a personality that is very good for that.
He is a born motivator.
He has a balance between the technical and the motivational.
It's just what we need for this moment.
-Is it true that you tried to convince Repetto but there was no case?
-In the mess that was that night I spoke with him to find out what was happening.
I realized that there was no way.
I put myself in his place and realized that he was in Ecuador with his family and they had just told him that the president of Independiente with whom he was negotiating had resigned and the cameras were at the door of the headquarters with some guys doing a little of mess.
If we put more pressure on him, he would come reluctantly and that doesn't work out.
Grindetti watches Zielinski's first practice as Red's manager.
Photo: Fernando de la Orden
-What is the next immediate step?
-I'm going to personally work on the debts.
We are going to work on the debt with the Mexicans.
It is more than double the original debt, the malpractice of the previous Commission managed to double it.
I want to put together a very good proposal and if necessary go to Mexico to negotiate with America the possibilities of paying.
We must give them the assurance that this Commission will comply.
The image of Independiente at the international level has been greatly discredited and we are trying to rebuild that.
-Because of this debt, the club is inhibited and, in turn, there are dozens of youth players who cannot play in their categories either. Are there steps to solve this issue?
-It is not fair for the boys because they do not compete at a professional level.
Not allowing a boy to evolve in his formation because the club is inhibited does not seem fair to me.
I think that common sense will prevail and that will be solved soon.
It is being managed and we have already raised the situation in FIFA.
-The Verón case keeps the club on edge, will the strategy remain the same as it has been up to now?
-Yeah.
It is a very unfair judgment.
Our lawyers presented an innumerable amount of evidence that the Court will have to analyze.
It will be justice.
It is something absolutely excessive originated in a bad professional praxis on the part of the previous lawyers.
We have come to this: 2.3 billion for less than 14 games played sounds like a lot.
It will take a long time, but I am optimistic that it will come out in favor of Independiente.
Do you plan to continue the trial against the Moyanos as well?
-Yes, that was presented by Doman on behalf of the Commission.
That will follow its process.
-The classic is coming, Independiente is very bad and if Racing is on a good day it is much superior on paper. Do you sign the tie?
-No no.
I want to win.
-Can this Independiente beat Racing?
-Yeah.
Soccer is the unthinkable.
With Independiente I have many experiences of impossible things.
If we are all motivated as we are right now, I think we have a great chance of winning.
-What would the Grindetti fan who came with his father to the field say to the Grindetti who has to be president at this time of Independiente?
-Do everything possible to get the eighth.
-But today that is something very distant.
- Missing, I didn't say when.
-If you think about the future, it is because you are analyzing to continue...
-What I say is that we begin to build the path.
You cannot aspire to win a Libertadores in the situation we are in today.
But we can start walking a path for that.
If in the next few years it happens to win it and the springboard for that was a management this year, I will be happy.
Grindetti and the suspicions about the referee of the classic
The referee assigned for this Sunday's classic against Racing is Yael Falcón Pérez, who has worked at the Undersecretary of Sports of the Municipality of Lanús since 2020, more precisely at the Municipal Soccer Referee School.
When his name was designated for the derby on Sunday from the light blue and white side of Avellaneda, they raised their voices and raised their guard.
It is that Néstor Grindetti, mayor of Lanús, had remained as president before the resignation of Fabián Doman.
And the suspicions grew.
Falcón Pérez submitted his resignation from that job for this matter.
"This topic struck me because he had to resign from a job he had in the Municipality because I am president of Independiente and Mayor. It is not my fault; it is because of the circumstance, because there were suspicions," Grindetti said before the
Clarín
question
about it.
And he added: "It does not seem fair to me, but nothing else could be done because otherwise the suspicions would continue. I cannot think badly of someone I do not know."