After the match against Banfield, Marcelo Escudero will temporarily replace Gallardo as interim manager

The 1-0 defeat to Vélez in Liniers marked the end of the second cycle of Marcelo Gallardo at River. The coach decided to step aside after a little more than a year and a half in charge of the team, a period in which he didn't win any titles and which was marked by inconsistency in the results.

Muñeco's departure forced the board to move quickly. As the search begins for a permanent replacement for the remainder of the season, Marcelo Escudero will take over as interim coach of the first team. The current Reserve head coach already knows what it means to take charge in a transitional context.

This will be his second experience in charge of the First Team. The previous one came after Martín Demichelis's departure, when he coached the 0-0 draw against Unión de Santa Fe in the 2024 Professional League. In that match he didn't hesitate to make strong decisions, such as relegating key leaders to the bench like Nacho Fernández and Manuel Lanzini, and handing Santiago Lencina his professional debut.

Since his arrival at River Plate's reserve team at the beginning of 2023, the head coach has managed 88 matches, in which he recorded 49 wins, 18 draws, and 21 defeats. He also won titles on two occasions: 2024 Proyección Cup and 2024 Champions Trophy.

In his career as a head coach outside the youth setup, "Pichi" had a brief spell at Fénix in 2016, in the B Metropolitana, where he coached eight matches. Now, once again in a turbulent moment, he will have the mission of leading the professional squad while the board decides River's next coach.

The candidates to become River's new head coach

Once Marcelo Gallardo's departure was confirmed, several important names began to circulate as possible replacements, among which four stand out: Eduardo Coudet, Hernán Crespo, Santiago Solari and Pablo Aimar.

With a coaching profile that has always attracted the board's attention and his dream of coaching River Plate, Coudet is emerging as the main option to take over the position. Currently "Chacho," who had excellent spells at Rosario Central and Racing, is at Alavés, a club where he has a contract until midyear. Although the Spanish club wants to renew his deal, a call from River could change those plans.

Crespo appears a step below, also favored by the board and highly requested by the fans. Just like Coudet, he has previously expressed his desire to be on the bench at the Núñez club and he has a notable track record as a head coach. Today he is in charge of São Paulo and, according to reports, if River wants to hire him away, River will have to pay 600,000 dollars.

Finally, Solari and Aimar have fewer chances. Although the board likes him, "Indiecito" has little experience as a head coach, having served as interim coach at Real Madrid and as head coach at América de México. Meanwhile, "Payasito" has been requested by the fans for a long time and he interests the board, but his commitment to the Argentina national team would mean that, at least for now, his future lies away from the Núñez club.

In addition to the aforementioned names, there are also, a bit further back, Ramón Díaz, Ricardo Gareca, Jorge Sampaoli, Gerardo Martino, Ariel Holan, Diego Cocca, and Gabriel Milito.