Gallardo criticized the refereeing after the defeat against Rosario Central: 'You have no choice but to adapt to the system and stay silent'

River lost 2-1 to Rosario Central at the Gigante de Arroyito, and Marcelo Gallardo did not hide his frustration. Muñeco's team, which had taken the lead with a goal by Miguel Borja after a great assist from Juan Fernando Quintero, ended up losing due to goals by Franco Ibarra and Ignacio Malcorra, in a match marked by the sending off of Juan Portillo that conditioned Núñez's team.

After the match, Gallardo faced the microphones with his characteristic composure, but he hinted at his displeasure with the refereeing and with what he defined as "the system." "I'm not going to be the only one who always speaks. You end up very alone... you have no choice but to adapt to the system and stay silent, because whoever speaks is sanctioned," said the coach, in statements that resonated strongly in Argentine football.

The coach delved deeper into his criticism with a restrained tone, though without giving up conviction: "Those of us who understand this see how it develops with certain attitudes. There's no need for a penalty to be called against you." At the same time, he sought to focus the message on football: "We came to play determined until the sending off. That conditioned us, being down to ten is difficult. We have to be smarter because this keeps happening to us."

Gallardo also had words for Marcos Acuña, who was substituted after receiving a blow and picking up a yellow card: "He is an experienced player with a long career, but he can also suffer these consequences. It's part of his style, his mentality, and he has to understand that in Argentine football he will have to learn and measure himself because they will target him, those situations arise, I talk to him, but he already has significant experience."

Looking ahead to the next match against Sarmiento, Muñeco once again raised his voice against the scheduling: "It's not good to play on a FIFA date when we are the team that is most affected."

With his usual reflective tone, he closed by trying to ease the tension, though without hiding his discontent: "I asked the players to stay calm because we had already been affected, not by the sending off, but by how the game was developing."

Once again, Gallardo made it clear that he doesn't shy away from conflicts when he feels something goes beyond strictly sporting matters, but also that he feels alone in that fight against what he considers a system that doesn't always play fair.