Martín Demichelis reflected on his time at River and was self-critical: "I made mistakes"

Time often changes perspective and, while Martín Demichelis is going through a new stage of his career in Germany, his time at River is starting to feel further away on the calendar. After a departure marked by emotion and a period in which he chose to keep a low profile, the coach referred again to his bond with the club that raised him and acknowledged the mistakes he made during his tenure.

"I was, I am, and I will be a fan. And River is so big that it is above all names. It was a true pleasure and I will be immensely grateful. I experienced the biggest transition in this club. Not only because of who left, but because of the players who brought so much glory.I came to take charge and made mistakes, but I did it with a great sense of belonging", Demichelis stated in an interview for Clarín.

His time at the Millonario began in 2023, after the departure of Marcelo Gallardo, and ended in July 2024. During that period, he managed 87 matches, with a record of 52 wins, 16 draws, and 19 losses, and a tally of 169 goals for and 96 against. In terms of titles, he won 3: 2023 Professional League, 2023 Champions Trophy, and the 2023 Argentine Supercup. However, after a promising start, the team lost consistency and the relationship with a good part of the fans began to deteriorate.

One of the episodes that had the most impact internally was the so-called "off" with journalists, while the mid-2024 transfer market also faced strong criticism. Ultimately, Demichelis left the position and Gallardo returned to once again take the bench of the Núñez team.

The support of the fans

Over time, the coach began to receive messages of support from some River supporters. "Not long ago, I opened my social media and feel the support of many people, especially River fans, who write to me and express themselves. I also experienced as a child empathizing with a player or a coach who is abroad", he shared.

In this regard, Demichelis emphasized that he still feels a special bond with the club and expressed a wish related to his current European adventure: "I hope I can make some Argentine feel identified with the football we are going to propose in Leipzig. At River, at times, it went very well".

Despite these references, the coach remained silent for a long time about his departure from the Millonario. In fact, before giving interviews, he expressly requests not to be asked about his past in Núñez or the current state of the team. "I have remained silent for a long time and want to continue that way. Please forgive me", he explained.

A methodology that did not change

Beyond the results, Demichelis also defended his way of understanding football and explained that his methodology has remained practically intact since his early years as a coach in the youth teams of Bayern Munich.

"I have always said that to be a coach, the first thing you have to do is define your principles and then a methodology. If the method connects with the institution, great. The truth is that I have not changed my methodology all these years, since I started with the youth teams at Bayern Munich. It is my way of understanding football, even though there are always things to correct", he stated.

The coach emphasized that one of the main lessons of his career was understanding the particularities of each place. "The most important thing is to adapt to the culture of each place. Sometimes the same exercise bores or entertains depending on where you are. Or, for example, in Argentina, it was not liked that I explained in detail what happened in the matches. In Spain and Germany, it was. It is about adapting according to the experience", he explained.

His present in Leipzig

After his time at River, Demichelis managed Rayados de Monterrey and had a brief stint at Mallorca before arriving at RB Leipzig. In Germany, he started with good results and now faces the challenge of consolidating the team among the main players in European football in the Champions League.

"It is an honor and a pride that I have been chosen to be at this particular club. I prepared for it, dreamed of it, and now is the time to prove it. Being a foreign coach is a double responsibility to open doors. This institution has been growing by leaps and bounds. On a global level, it presents itself to continue doing so, and that is the goal. I like the word evolution; the desire is enormous", he assured.

Demichelis also explained that he found a very organized structure in his new destination. "If the Bundesliga is structured, the club is even more so. I come in at 7 in the morning and leave at 9 PM; I don’t stay to sleep here because there is no concentration. Here, we work a lot with scouts, who present us with options for reinforcements, and then we choose them collectively. This is how we seek to navigate a market that has gone crazy in numbers in some specific positions", he commented.