A few hours before the match between River and Argentinos Juniors for the fifth round of the Clausura Tournament, a strong exchange occurred between the presidents of both clubs
River will host Argentinos Juniors this Sunday at the Estadio Monumental for a new round of the Torneo Clausura. However, the lead-up to the match has been marked by a management dispute.
During a press conference, Stefano Di Carlo referred to the irregular present of the Núñez team and questioned some refereeing decisions that, in his opinion, harmed the millionaire team during the last five matches.
The statements from the president of River prompted a quick response from his colleague at Argentinos Juniors, Cristian Malaspina, who decided to speak out publicly before the match.
The response from Cristian Malaspina
Malaspina rejected the stance expressed by River and considered that Di Carlo's statements could be interpreted as a way to exert pressure on the referee.
“River has been the club that has won the most under Claudio Tapia's management,” said the president of Bicho, who also highlighted the effort made by Argentinos to establish itself in Argentine football.
“With a lot of effort, we are where we are; no one gave us anything. I don’t think it’s fair for such a big club like River want to condition the referee before the match,” he stated.
The Argentinos Juniors leader also emphasized that he maintains a good personal relationship with Di Carlo, although he made it clear that he believes his colleague's stance is misguided: “Each one has to sort things out internally.”
Malaspina insisted that questions about refereeing should be resolved within each institution and not carried over to the lead-up of a match. “It’s a huge motivation for us. It’s rare for big clubs to come out and say this,” he added.
