The defeat against Huracán in the Torneo Clausura not only deepened Boca's poor sporting moment (which has now gone 11 matches without a win), but also triggered an internal leadership conflict that could lead to drastic changes within the Football Council.
With a Bombonera that promises to be red-hot on August 9 against Racing, criticism of president Juan Román Riquelme is intensifying. For the first time, there are concrete signs that he could touch one of his most protected structures since he took over at the club: the Football Council.
Journalist Flavio Azzaro was the one who raised the alarm on his YouTube channel. "Riquelme has decided to make changes in the Football Council. I think there will be news and there are people who won't be part of it anymore," he anticipated.
If confirmed, it would be an unprecedented shift, given that Román had never modified his inner circle since he began his tenure in 2019. Until now, the president had shielded all members of the Council, even during times of strong external criticism.
Who makes up the Football Council?
The Council is made up of four historic Boca former players:
Mauricio "Chicho" Serna
Jorge "Patrón" Bermúdez
Raúl Cascini
Marcelo "Chelo" Delgado
Serna, Bermúdez, Cascini y Delgado en un palco de la Bombonera
In its beginnings, the group consisted only of Cascini, Delgado, and Bermúdez. Serna joined in mid-2022 to gain influence in the day-to-day activities at the Ezeiza complex.
Currently, the most visible members are Serna, Cascini, and Delgado, since Bermúdez has been in Colombia since early 2023. Although he remains linked to the club, his role is much more distant, since he hasn't appeared publicly since the Copa Libertadores final that Boca lost to Fluminense on November 4, 2023.
What could change?
For now, it is not known whether the changes will involve a complete restructuring, the departure of one or two members, or its elimination. What is certain is that, if it happens, it will be the first time Riquelme intervenes in this sector, which had total autonomy during the first years of his presidency.
The pressure from fans, the lack of results, and the heated atmosphere in La Boca seem to have pushed Román to shake things up. With Miguel Ángel Russo's continuity in doubt and a historic negative streak, the margin for action is shrinking and the Council, the bastion that was once untouchable, could be the first piece to fall.
