Sebastián Battaglia was harsh when talking about Boca's absence in the Libertadores.

In Luque, the official headquarters of Conmebol, the group stage draw for this season's Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores will take place. There, a tribute will be paid to players who have achieved success in these tournaments. Among them will be Sebastián Battaglia, former Boca player and coach, who currently manages San Miguel, a team in the Primera Nacional, and he referred to the absence of Xeneize in international competitions.

"It's a moment the institution is experiencing due to not having international competitions, but well, they have a year ahead to qualify for the next year's and focus on that," he commented on the team's poor performance in the 2024 season, which prevented them from directly accessing the Libertadores group stage.

In the same vein, Battaglia highlighted how significant it is for South American football that Boca isn't participating in these tournaments: "It's strange not to have a powerhouse like Boca and what Boca means for these types of competitions, not only the Copa Libertadores but also the Sudamericana."

Unlike last season, when they played in the Copa Sudamericana after finishing seventh in the 2023 annual table, Boca didn't manage to qualify directly for the 2025 Libertadores. They finished fifth in the annual standings and had to play in the second phase of the tournament, where they were eliminated at home by Alianza Lima in the penalty shootout.

As a result, the team led by Fernando Gago not only lost the chance to advance to the Libertadores group stage but also was left out of the Copa Sudamericana, meaning they won't compete in international tournaments this season.

With this scenario, Boca's main objectives are three: to win the apertura and/or clausura, win the Copa Argentina, and, of course, qualify directly for the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.