Leonardo Ponzio signed a contract as River's coach until 2027, and his continuity will depend on the results

The situation of Leonardo Ponzio as coach of River Plate was one of the topics analyzed by the club's Board of Directors during a meeting held this Thursday at the Monumental stadium.

The meeting was called by president Stefano Di Carlo and began at 6 PM. There, the contract linking Ponzio to the institution until mid-2027 was formalized, although the agreement mainly responds to an administrative issue.

Why Ponzio signed a one-year contract

As Di Carlo explained, the link was established for one year due to AFA regulations, which prevent an interim coach from remaining in that position for more than two matches.

For that reason, the contract serves as a legal formality so that Ponzio can continue coaching the professional team. Since there is no contractual figure for an interim coach for a shorter period and shorter agreements are not allowed, the club opted to formalize a link until next year.

Ponzio's case also has a particularity: he already had another contract with River, but needed to formalize his new role as coach. In contrast, Marcelo Escudero did not have to sign a new contract when he previously took over, because he was already in charge of the Reserve team.

Ponzio and his numbers since taking over at River

Ponzio took charge of the first team on August 27, after the departure of Eduardo Coudet. Since then, the start of his tenure has been perfect: he achieved three victories in three matches, with nine points out of nine possible.

This initial performance opened the possibility for the former midfielder to continue beyond his current status.

If the results continue to favor River during the final stretch of the year, the management does not plan to go to the market in search of a definitive coach.