Pergolini lashes out against Riquelme's management: 'It has been proven that he doesn't know'

Boca's elimination against Atlético Tucumán in the Copa Argentina has reignited the club's internal political conflict. Strong criticism of the leadership headed by Juan Román Riquelme quickly emerged from the opposition. Mario Pergolini, the club's former second vice president, directly targeted the current management and called for a deep change.

On his show on Vorterix, the host harshly criticized the person who was once his running mate at the club and with whom he also ended up at odds.

"This is a management that has stopped working," Pergolini fired, then expanded on his statement: "They buy poorly, they do things they shouldn't do, people play and you don't know why they're playing, it seems like they're almost provoking," he said, making clear his frustration with the sporting decisions and the lack of judgment in building the squad.

The businessman and host went further, stating that the current management seems to ignore the fans' demands: "What do they expect us to do to tell them:  No, we don't want this?"

He also directly targeted Riquelme for the reinforcements that arrived last transfer windows: "It's been proven that he doesn't know. And if he does know, well, he's perverse, because he's buying people who are of no use to us or making people play who are of no use," he said bluntly.

The situation of Miguel Ángel Russo and the management of the locker room were also not spared from his criticism: "What they're doing with the coach is something we don't deserve, and Russo doesn't deserve it either. They're creating a lethal combination, a rude combination," he stated.

Pergolini insisted that his position is not motivated by politics or internal party disputes, but by the pain of seeing the club in an extreme situation: "I'm telling you as a member, we've never been this bad. What Riquelme is doing is terrible.  The man is terrible," he concluded.

He closed his statement as forcefully as the rest: "There is no board of directors, there is nothing at all. This anarchy is leading to this with people who don't care. The club is a lie to them."

Additionally, from his social media, he joined the criticism after the elimination: "It's time to seriously talk about the present, even if it hurts or bothers. This is the worst period in our glorious history," he wrote.

Pergolini also targeted Russo for his statements after the match: "They're out of focus," he said, referring to the fact that the coach valued the team's performance despite the new setback.

Another opposition figure who targeted Riquelme

Andrés Ibarra, Mauricio Macri's political ally and former Boca presidential candidate, was one of the first to react after the 2-1 defeat. "They're disrespecting the greatest colors in the world," he posted on his Instagram account, along with an image alluding to the club's crest.

He continued: "This can't go on. Stop destroying Boca. We're losing to everyone and with everyone. In my life, I've never experienced a Boca situation like the one we're living through. So pathetic, blurred, and far from what this crest means. True fans want much more, expect much more, and set the bar very high."

He also directly targeted the current administration: "There are no ideas. There is no management," summarized the former official and opposition leader.