Through a video, 'Muñeco' communicated his decision to put an end to a second cycle that was not what was expected. He will coach his last match against Banfield
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After failing to find a way out of a completely deteriorated sporting situation, Marcelo Gallardo will step aside as River's head coach. Through a video posted on the club's social media, "Muñeco," visibly moved, announced his decision and clarified that his last match will be this Thursday against Banfield at the Monumental.
"Only words of gratitude, mainly to this enormous club, to its people for their unconditional love during all these years, even in the most delicate moments like this one, in which clearly things did not turn out as well as projected," he commented.
"Emotion overwhelms me and I feel pain in my soul for not being able to meet the objectives, I simply want to also thank those who truly believed in me, in my entire coaching staff for representing this enormous institution with everything that entails, and I have nothing but words of gratitude for everyone," he added.
"Simply my reciprocal love for all the fans, and I hope with all my heart that this institution, which has grown enormously in recent years, a model institution throughout the region, can soon find good football results to further enhance what River means as an institution in the world," he concluded.
The poor balance of a second cycle far from expectations
In mid-2024, Marcelo Gallardo had accepted the challenge of returning to the club of his loves for a second spell to replace the one who had succeeded him in his first cycle, Martín Demichelis. Since then, River has not been able to celebrate a single title, coming close only in the 2023 International Supercup, which it lost to Talleres.
In total, "Muñeco" coached 85 matches, with a record of 35 wins, 32 draws, and 18 losses. Among his most notable results, it is possible to highlight two wins against Boca in the Superclásico; however, the list of disappointments is much longer.
Gallardo termina su segundo ciclo con 35 victorias, 32 empates y 18 derrotas
To begin with, the main objective, the Copa Libertadores, did not happen. In both attempts he had, Gallardo's team was eliminated in painful fashion. In 2024, it was thrashed in the semifinals by Atlético Mineiro (3-0 on aggregate) and missed the chance to fight for the title at home, while in 2025, it was no match for Palmeiras (5-2 on aggregate) in the quarterfinals.
On the domestic front, it was not able to stand out either. In the 2024 Liga Profesional it finished 6th, in the 2025 Apertura it lost in unbelievable fashion on penalties in the quarterfinals against Platense, and in the Clausura it was knocked out in the round of 16 by Racing. Meanwhile, it let a golden opportunity to win the Copa Argentina slip away, falling to Independiente Rivadavia in the semifinals.
These latest results, added to the shortage of points in the final stretch of last year, caused something unprecedented in the last decade: River did not qualify for the Copa Libertadores and will play the Copa Sudamericana.
Gallardo no logró enderezar el barco
With the hope of being able to right the ship, Gallardo started the year with renewed energy, but it did not work either. After a promising start with two consecutive wins in the Torneo Apertura, the ghosts of 2025 returned to haunt. Out of the last five matches, it won one, drew one, and lost three, including the 4-1 thrashing suffered against Tigre at the Monumental. The final nail in the coffin was the defeat against Vélez, which ultimately ended up sealing a cycle that finished far from expectations.
