Antonio Serpa shattered Riquelme's management at Boca: stalled projects, fewer members, and millions under suspicion

It is well known that the management of Juan Román Riquelme at Boca is a disaster from a football perspective, but it would also be even worse from a managerial standpoint. After the eliminations of Xeneize in the Torneo Apertura and the Copa Libertadores, all attention seems to be focused, in addition to the transfer market, on the infrastructure of the club, something that has unleashed a wave of criticism especially from the sectors opposing the blue and gold idol. Within that group, one of the most prominent is journalist Antonio Serpa, who would not hold back and would lash out at the former number 10.

One of the main focal points of the criticisms has been the promised expansion of La Bombonera. According to Serpa, the project continues to show no concrete progress despite the allocated funds. "11.200 million pesos are in the budget, 11.200 million pesos for a first stage, but there is not a single plan, no paperwork submitted to the city or the nation. 7 million dollars for an expansion that we don't know where it will go", he stated.

The criticisms also reached the current management's corporate policies. The journalist claimed that during the management there was a significant reduction in the number of active members and questioned some budget priorities. "66,000 fewer members, we went from 330,000 to 264,000, they took away more than one members' stand. 4,800 million to build a hotel for the reserve team. Boca has no hotel for the first team and wants to build a hotel for the reserve", he pointed out.

Another of the observed projects was the micro-stadium planned for the Casa Amarilla grounds. Serpa emphasized that the initiative continues to remain unmaterialized despite the resources committed in various budgets. "The micro-stadium is not starting. Now they requested 9,120 million pesos to build the micro-stadium that was intended for 3,000 people in the blocks that the previous management bought there at Casa Amarilla", he expressed.

Additionally, he questioned the use of the land and the construction of the hockey field. "The hockey field they built there, which also is not useful because it is not a field that allows for professional games, is not a water field but rather a field with synthetic grass. For example, the Leonas cannot play there".

In the same vein, he linked that project to a political decision aimed at blocking future expansion projects of the stadium. "That field was built solely to throw away the possibility that the opposition might insist on the 21st Century Bombonera project. Last year they requested 15,000 million pesos, which I don't know where it ended up. And now they requested 9,120 million more", he maintained.

Finally, Serpa focused on the funds allocated to the Boca Juniors Foundation and demanded greater transparency regarding their use. "1,252,398,000 pesos for the foundation. Donations without explanation to Boca Social. They don't tell you we're going to allocate this, we're going to allocate that. Almost a million dollars. I think it's fantastic that Boca has a clearly defined social mission to fulfill. Now, tell me where you are putting that money. Who is taking that money?", he raised.

The statements add to a series of criticisms that various opposing sectors have been making regarding the management led by Riquelme, in this case, related to infrastructure, resource management, and planning of club works, in a context where several of the announced projects continue to show no truly visible progress.