Aníbal Matellán revealed that during Daniel Angelici's administration, the club sought to add several stars in the 2018 transfer market
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The end of Daniel Angelici's administration at Boca left an unforgettable market coup with the arrival of Daniele De Rossi, world champion with Italy in 2006. However, according to Aníbal Matellán, a member of the technical secretariat led by Nicolás Burdisso, there were other high-profile names who could have worn the blue and gold jersey, among them Antonio Conte.
"We handled all the negotiations," Matellán confessed in a conversation with Vía Libre, detailing that in 2018 the club moved forward to hire the Italian as coach. Although the coach showed interest, his contract at Chelsea, with whom he had won the FA Cup, was still in effect, so the operation was halted.
Conte estaba interesado, pero su contrato con Chelsea frenó todo
Additionally, Matellán confirmed that during those years there were also talks with Zlatan Ibrahimovic before his move to Los Angeles Galaxy, as well as with Salomón Rondón and Edinson Cavani, although ultimately no agreement was reached to sign them.
Ibrahimovic, Rondón y Cavani habían sido sondeados en 2018
De Rossi as Boca's coach?
Meanwhile, Matellán did not rule out that De Rossi himself could return to the club in the future, this time as coach. "I would make a great effort to come to Boca if it were within his possibilities. Boca demands that the coach be up to the circumstances: it's something very broad, it's not just about coaching a team, but having a game plan, identity, and respecting the club's history," he assured.
Matellán no descartó a De Rossi como DT de Boca
His view on Boca's current situation
The former footballer also referred to the delicate sporting moment Boca is experiencing under the leadership of Juan Román Riquelme. "Lately, results haven't been coming due to poor decisions made by Román and his team, and that has been reflected in the team's and the players' performance. All of this stems from what one proposes as a leader," he opined.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in a recovery: "I believe that in the end they're going to turn the situation around, because it's a matter of persistence. Hopefully that's the case, that the team can start winning. Today they're not showing that, and it's a debt the entire team owes to its people, the club, and its history."
