In the midst of a football crisis, the president of River, Stéfano Di Carlo, held a press conference lasting just over an hour accompanied by the club's main leaders and made an extensive self-criticism about the current sporting situation, explained the decisions made during the transfer market, and backed coach Eduardo Coudet. He also referred to the excluded players, the situation of Juan Fernando Quintero, the refereeing, and the postponed match with Independiente Santa Fe.
Di Carlo's diagnosis of River's crisis
Di Carlo began his presentation with an explanation of the decisions made by the management to try to change the team's direction. The president stated that the club had been going through a decline for some time and that, after the final of the Apertura Tournament, it was decided to intervene strongly in the transfer market.
"We come from a complex starting point. We have been in a situation of decline for some time. That's how football works, in a spiral manner. There are football teams that after a successful moment hit a bump. In our case, that was the starting point", he affirmed.
In that sense, he explained that River had two paths after the final, but the management opted for a profound renewal of the squad: "However, we decided to intervene strongly in the transfer market. I gave an interview expressing what we felt, regardless of reaching that final. That River is not playing the way we wanted. We sought to build a squad that represented us".
"We sought a more aggressive path, with a strong market, to build from those signings. To have a base of a squad to organize River's project. To seek a leap in level, hierarchy. Also, with the speed that the moment required. We are not only looking for hierarchy but also projection", he added.
Finally, Di Carlo acknowledged that the management may have made mistakes, although he defended the decisions made: "We made three transfer markets in one. We may have made mistakes. Those who act make mistakes, but that doesn't mean we stop acting. That doesn't mean we float. For us, the number of defeats, both before and now, was serious".
The self-criticism regarding the way players were separated
Di Carlo explained that the decision to exclude players was linked to the need to reduce the number of professionals to incorporate reinforcements, but he acknowledged that the methods were not appropriate. "Regarding the separated players. That responds to a sporting issue. That issue has a flip side that to incorporate you have to remove. Historical experience shows that it is very complex. We tried other ways, but it hasn't worked", he pointed out.
"It was a very important number of professionals. We made a decision, which upon reflection was a mistake in the ways, the methods, of separating the players. Then we suggested to them if they wanted to train in double shifts in Ezeiza. Perhaps a notice could have been generated that the groups would be divided", he continued.
The president assured that, despite the decision, River sought to maintain respect towards the footballers: "The exits, beyond the error of the methods, regardless of that, we never stopped being respectful towards them. We proposed to help them".
Later, he took responsibility again for the way the measure was carried out: "That does not excuse the methodological errors for which we have to respond, correct. Those methodological errors respond to one of the most critical moments in terms of results. We have sinned by acting, due to the intensity of searching in the market. The fundamental decision was necessary. Today, of the 12 excluded professionals, 4 remain".
He also explained that the decision did not cause economic harm to the club: "We have to look forward. In terms of assets, we did not cause any harm. The market knows the value of each player. That does not change, whether separating or not separating".
The planning of the preseason
The president rejected that the coaching staff had any responsibility for a possible lack of players during the preseason and assured that River complied with the requests made. “Regarding the preseason. In that sense, the coaching staff also did not have an impact. When they required more players, six youth players traveled,” he stated.
And he added: "All teams in the world have between 20 and 24 players. In Argentina, more players are accepted, but that exceeds everything. There was no requirement for more professionals for that moment of the preseason".
The reformulation of the squad and the request for time
Di Carlo stated that the management sought to reduce the number of squad members and raise their hierarchy, although he acknowledged that the team is going through a negative streak that is not up to River's standards. "We know how football is. The negative dynamic was happening before separating the players. The context makes everything more than it is. We wanted to shrink the squad and raise its level. Invest more or less the same money in football but with fewer names", he explained.
Regarding the football moment, he admitted: "There is a negative streak that is unacceptable for River, which is serious. But we also feel, believe, and think that the River fans have lost, rightly so, the ability to project what is coming, what we are building".
In that sense, he asked for time for the reinforcements to adapt: "The reinforcements have not yet blended. The transitions to stand up again are long. What we need is time, unity, which we have. Players, coaching staff, we are united".
Di Carlo assured that the squad maintains confidence in Coudet and in the project: "They have a conviction in the figure of the coach, in his work. We are in urgency and that makes it unacceptable and intolerable. This team needs to find functioning, but we have the raw material. River will return to being what it needs to be. We are convinced".
Finally, he emphasized that the process will be uncomfortable, but that the management will continue to work: "What we need is time. In that process, it will be uncomfortable, but that’s how football works. We have to live in discomfort. This is long, it is uncomfortable. But that doesn't mean we stop working, intervening forcefully in the market".
Coudet and the support of the management
Di Carlo assured that the coach has the support of both the management and the squad's leaders. As he explained, they held conversations after the last matches and found a common stance. "I see the coach well, with strength, supported by the group. After the match with Central, and the others as well, we spoke with him and all the leaders and members of the squad", he pointed out.
"We found the same, that unity and determination from everyone. That this is time and that it will turn around. That it is a path of ascent", he added.
The market and the arrival of Thiago Almada
The president explained that River used resources from different markets to finalize their signings and also turned to new sponsors and income projections. "We used resources from both markets. Also new sponsors and income and sales projections. That is the reality. We also prorated the deadlines for signings, to have financial flexibility", he explained. He also confirmed that the institution paid 20 million euros for 100% of Thiago Almada's rights
Longoria and the football structure
Di Carlo also defended the incorporation of Longoria into the club's football structure and requested time to evaluate his work. “You cannot evaluate someone based on 50 days of work. The direction of football is under my leadership, in the technical secretariat, with Enzo, and Longoria came to help us in other football functions,” he explained. “Perhaps the mistake was not giving him a more traditional name. But everything is time and the fruit of work is time,” he added.
The players who still need to define their future
The president updated the situation of the players who remain sidelined from the squad and confirmed that the exit of Kevin Castaño is already finalized. "Castaño's situation is closed, the sale to Brazil. 5 million for 50% of the loan. For Viña and Páez, we are waiting for their clubs to decide their destination", he informed. "There are four players with advanced conversations. Out of respect, I will not disclose the private conversations they have,” he concluded.
The future of Coudet
When asked about the timeframe that the coach could set to turn the situation around, Di Carlo made it clear that the management will continue to support him as long as he maintains the conviction to lead the team. "If he decides that he cannot find a way, as happened with Marcelo, the most important person in the club's history. If he made the decision, imagine the starting point we must build", he expressed.
And he was emphatic about the support for the current coach: "As long as he feels he has strength, we will support him, because we believe in him".
The fans' criticisms
Di Carlo differentiated the questions the team received inside the stadium from the chants and situations that occurred in the club's hall during the last match at the Monumental against Rosario Central. For the president, the criticisms in the stadium are legitimate and must be heard. "The stadium belongs to the people and the hall belongs to the club's politics. We all know how the club works and we can tell you that the hall is a place where politics finds space to generate situations, for political ends", he stated.
On the other hand,
