After the defeat in the Superclásico, what seemed like an open secret ended up happening:Fernando Gago was dismissed as Boca's coach. This Tuesday morning, the final decision was made by Juan Román Riquelme, Boca's president, and the Football Council.
With Pintita's departure, Mariano Herrón will coach Sunday's match against Tigre and will have the interim leadership of the first team until Xeneize finds a high-profile replacement.
The cycle of the now former Boca coach lasted 30 matches, of which 17 were victories, 5 draws, and 8 defeats. Among the main low points of his performance, the loss against River on Sunday and the elimination in Libertadores Phase 2 against Alianza Lima stand out, but they are not the only ones.
From the beginning, Gago had been questioned for his tactics and attitudes in key matches. His debut match against Tigre was a tough 3-0 defeat that brought the first criticisms. Shortly after, his team fell 4-3 to Vélez in the Copa Argentina semifinals, after leading 3-2, thus losing the chance to qualify directly for Libertadores.
Another match that fueled his departure from the club was the 2-0 defeat in the classic against Racing, his former club, where he showed a very poor level.
The candidates to replace Gago
One of the names on the radar is Rodolfo Arruabarrena, who already had a stint as Boca's coach between August 2014 and February 2016. He is currently without a club, with his most recent experience being at the helm of Al-Taawoun in Saudi Arabia. Although his contract extended until mid-year, last February the Arab institution decided to end the relationship after 28 matches coached.
