Germán Pezzella has brought an end to his second stint at River. The central defender, who had been excluded from the professional squad for some time, agreed on Tuesday to terminate his contract with the club and is now free to choose his next destination.
The farewell began minutes before the official confirmation. Through his Instagram account, the world champion in Qatar 2022 shared a brief but emotional message directed to the fans of the Millonario: "Until the end of our lives, I love you. Thank you".
Shortly after, the Núñez club officially announced his departure through a statement highlighting the defender's development in the youth divisions and his contributions throughout his two stints at the club.
"Club Atlético River Plate and Germán Pezzella mutually agreed to terminate the contractual relationship. Trained in the youth teams of the Club, he won five titles wearing our colors in his two stints and became a world champion, reflecting River's historical contribution to the Argentine National Team. River Plate thanks him for his dedication and wishes Germán the best in his next chapter", the institution reported.
Pezzella had been sidelined from Eduardo Coudet's plans and, during the last few weeks, trained at the Cantilo facility alongside other players who are also not part of the coach's plans. Despite some team members reportedly requesting his reintegration, the management maintained its decision, and both parties ultimately agreed to end the relationship.
Now, at 35 years old and less than a week before the transfer market closes, Pezzella must decide what to do with his future. For the moment, he is a free agent and can negotiate directly with any club, although it is still unconfirmed whether he will seek to continue his professional career or if he is considering retirement.
Pezzella's numbers at River
Throughout his two stints wearing the Millonario jersey (2011-2015 and 2024-2026), the Bahian played 8,944 minutes, spread over 119 matches, in which he scored 6 goals, provided 2 assists, and received 25 yellow cards. In terms of titles, he won 5 (all from his first stint): Torneo Final 2014, Copa Campeonato 2014, Copa Sudamericana 2014, Copa Libertadores 2015, and Recopa Sudamericana 2015.
