The third stage of Miguel Ángel Russo as Boca's coach is almost a done deal. After San Lorenzo was eliminated in the semifinals of the Torneo Apertura by Platense, the experienced 69-year-old coach signed his departure from Ciclón and is now ready to take over again at the Ribera club.
However, not everyone in the Boca world received the news with enthusiasm. One of the most critical voices was Mario Pergolini, the club's former vice president and a regular opponent of Juan Román Riquelme's leadership.
On his show Paren la Mano on Vorterix, Pergolini spoke about Russo's return with a mix of personal praise and institutional reservations.
"I care about him a lot. He's one of those people you almost never find in football, a gentleman. I have spoken with him. He put up with me at the training camp when Boca beat Vélez, six and something, I was the one on the bus with them. And a gentleman. Even knowing that I don't know a damn thing about football like these people do," he said with a touch of irony.
He then moved on to a more critical analysis of the return of the 2007 Copa Libertadores-winning coach. "I think he left Boca on bad terms, he said terrible things to these same people. Still, he later went to greet them. You know how second comebacks are complicated? Third... I'm afraid he'll lose everything he won. I think they're using him more than anything. And he's such a good person that he'll accept," he stated.
True to his style, Pergolini also took a jab at San Lorenzo, the club that just parted ways with Russo: "I kind of like that San Lorenzo fans are really angry," he said with a laugh, highlighting his usual provocative tone.
