Eduardo Coudet did not look for excuses after River’s surprising elimination against Aldosivi in the round of 32 of the Copa Argentina. In a press conference full of self-criticism, the coach described his team’s performance as ‘a disgrace,’ took responsibility for the display, and acknowledged that the image shown was far from what he expected for the start of the second half of the year.
‘It was a disgrace. In Argentine football you can lose to anyone, but today the team transmitted nothing. I didn’t like anything,’ said the head coach, visibly shaken by the defeat in Salta. He added: ‘To be honest, we can find plenty of excuses, but the truth is we cannot show this image. It’s not what I see during the week. I don’t know why it’s so hard to execute what we practice. We have to take responsibility.’
Asked how to reverse a blow of such magnitude, Coudet insisted on the need to quickly regain confidence. ‘We didn’t like the image or what we transmitted. We have to work. We intend to build something good, something nice; for the fans to feel identified with the team and to complete the transfer market. But we have to improve a lot. In a week we are competing again in the local league. Here we know where we are and we have to be brave to reverse this image,’ he stated.
The coach also explained why he made two player substitutions before the end of the first half. ‘I looked for a change in dynamics. We weren’t transmitting what we need to transmit, we weren’t getting into the rhythm of the game. The team didn’t look good in any line. We needed more presence and more contest. We lost a lot of duels. Sometimes conditions aren’t the best, but we have to show other things. It was a very bad match.’
In that sense, he again avoided any justification for the result. ‘There are players who haven’t closed yet and others whose readiness we had to accelerate, like Beltrán. But they are all excuses. When we lose, we have to take responsibility and this image cannot be repeated. We wear the River shirt and we have to show another way,’ he emphasized.
Another topic he addressed was the deep squad overhaul during the transfer window. When asked about the decision to sideline 15 players, Coudet distanced himself from the decision. ‘It was a club decision. Institutional,’ he replied bluntly. He was also categorical about Juan Fernando Quintero’s return from vacation, after he was a protagonist in the World Cup with Colombia: ‘Juanfer has to report on Thursday.’
He also referred to the signings, which are still ongoing. ‘We are looking to complete the squad, generate competition in all positions. We haven’t achieved it yet and football doesn’t give us time to work. We have to try to close many things, that’s the reality,’ he explained.
Watch the 2026 World Cup in the best quality
These are the most sought-after TVs to watch the National Team. All with 12 interest-free installments:
- Smart TV Kanji 32″ LED HD – From $120,000 in 12 interest-free installments (VAFTS9-89J3)
- Smart TV LG 43″ 4K UHD WebOS – From $450,000 in 12 interest-free installments (VAFTS9-WXW9)
- Smart TV Samsung 50″ 4K UHD – From $600,000 in 12 interest-free installments (VAFTS9-VVE0)
Approximate prices. 12 interest-free installments subject to each seller. Look for the codes on Mercado Libre.
Para mí, Chacho, esto es un verso. River no transmitió nada porque está lleno de mercenarios vendidos al sistema, unos tibios de mierda. La culpa es de la dirigencia cagona, no tuya. Aguante la izquierda y los pibes de la cantera, no estos muertos. Nos robaron el sentimiento, una vergüenza. Dale, mandate a mudar si no te dejan laburar, pero con huevos y pueblo, carajo.
chacho coudet un payaso q se hace el vivo para mi la culpa es de los jugadores y la dirigencia kirchnerista q arruino river verguenza total no dan mas andate ya