The president of the Academy assured that the decision was agreed upon with the coach and emphasized that the team needed "a change of air" after a semester marked by poor results and internal tension.
Racing is going through one of the most tumultuous moments of the year following the departure of Gustavo Costas. Amid the shock caused by the decision to end the coach's tenure, Diego Milito, the club president, held a press conference to explain the reasons behind the measure.
"It is a very sad day, a day we never thought would come, but that's football. We are really like all the fans, sad about this situation", expressed the president of the Academy at the beginning of his public address. Accompanied by Sebastián Saja in the latest internal discussions, Milito assured that the outcome was determined after an extensive meeting with Costas himself.
Milito lamented Costas' departure.
"Yesterday we had a very sincere and deep conversation analyzing this semester, analyzing the last matches, and in this conversation we understood that it was a moment, because we are from football, that indicated that with everything that had been happening, unfortunately, it was the end of a cycle", he stated. According to him, the conversation lasted about an hour and both agreed that the team needed a renewal in terms of morale.
"This squad needs a change of air, new air. What happened in the last matches and everything we experienced since the classic onward indicated that. There have been unbelievable things", explained the president, who also added: "It has been a tough, bad semester. We are all responsible, I first as president of the club".
Milito also tried to ease the tension regarding the relationship with Costas and emphasized that the personal bond remains intact. "We have a great relationship. We have always been there, in difficult moments and the nice ones too", he affirmed.
Milito highlighted the great relationship he has with Costas.
One of the points that upset the president the most was the leak of the news before the official communication to the squad. He explained that the initial idea was to announce the decision together with the coach this Sunday morning. "We agreed to talk to the players and make a joint communication. Then I found out that it had leaked everywhere. It was not done in the best way", he lamented.
Milito also revealed that they do not expect any issues in agreeing to the termination of Costas's contract, which was valid until December 2028. "He told me there would be no problem", he recounted.
While the management begins the search for a new coach, Sebastián "Chirola" Romero and Luciano Aued will lead the team on an interim basis for the upcoming matches against Independiente Petrolero in the Copa Sudamericana and Defensa y Justicia in the Copa Argentina.
Aued and Romero will lead the first team on an interim basis.
"We will take the necessary time to choose the profile of the next coach", Milito assured, although several names are already circulating in Racing as potential candidates. Hernán Crespo appears to be the main target, while Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Nicolás Diez, Martín Demichelis, and Luis Zubeldía are also on the list.
Meanwhile, the political and football climate in Avellaneda has become increasingly heated. Dozens of fans gathered at the stadium to support Costas and directly targeted the club's management with chants and insults towards the board and Milito himself.
The sports crisis, combined with the early elimination in the Sudamericana and a semester far below expectations, has left Racing in a state of maximum tension and with important decisions to make for the immediate future.
