Passarella returns to the Monumental: from Gallardo to Ortega, how is his relationship with the other idols of the River

Daniel Walkway He accepted River’s invitation to the world champions’ tribute, for which he will return to Monumental after a decade. And however he will be received by the fans, after the stormy presidency between 2009 and 2013, marked by the loss of the category in 2011, there is a history of the ‘Kaiser’ at the club, which includes twists, love and hate with other idols of the establishment.

Passarella came to River from Sarmiento de Junín in early 1974 and was part of Angel Labruna’s team that cut the drought of 18 years without qualifications. how did the player get seven championships and in 1982 it was transferred to the Florentine from Italy. Then, he came back in 1988 and, after one season, he retired, and six months later he put on the coaching suit, with which he won three more tournaments: 1989-90 and the Apertura ’91 and ’93. He would have one more stage as a coach, between 2006 and 2007, but without titles.

His personality, his strong character and his ways of relating they made him clash many times with other major characters, including several River idols. He had already had discussions with Labruna when refused to play at left-back in a precise moment of the ’75 championship.

With the well too, Passarella maintained a distant relationship, since the days of footballers. And, beyond the speeches and passing approaches, he ended up breaking down after River’s descent. Beto has lashed out at him more than once. “Passarella destroyed River when he was president and sent him to B for his pride”he has stated on more than one occasion.

With Enzo Francescoli, Passarella also had no chemistry beyond not sharing a team and only knowing each other for being football legends and their ties to River. And this is how the Uruguayan meant it when he decided on Rodolfo D’Onofrio’s project for the 2009 elections in the Núñez institution, finally won by the Kaiser by half a dozen votes.

With Ramon DiazMeanwhile, it also had twists and turns. They were partners and El Pelado returned to the club as a footballer with Passarella as manager. But after Díaz took over as manager in mid-1995, they averaged strong fightthat it would start with a short circuit because the Kaiser did not like that Ramón did without his trusted collaborators who had worked with him in River.

After many years away, Passarella had no choice in his last year as president but to visit him to direct and the relationship was partially restoredat least outside. El Pelado concluded by thanking him for going to look for him to return to the club.

There are two people very dear to River fans who were Passarella’s “girls”. One, Marcellus Gallardo, became a statue after his successful career as a coach. The other, Ariel Ortega, idolized for his dribbling and playing confidence. Both are loved by River Plate residents. And they had a very strong bond with the Kaiser, which was severed over time.

Passarella made them debut in the First Division and accompanied them in their growth. Furthermore, he brought them into the national team when he took over the technical direction of the Albiceleste team at the end of 1994 and they subsequently played in the World Cup in France ’98. The bond was so strong that the Doll chose the Kaiser as godfather to her first child, Nahuel..

In Passarella’s last phase as coach, however, the relationship with both began to wear out and ended when he was president. As a coach, the Kaiser asked the Gallardo to stay in mid-2006 when the doll received an offer from PSG. Six months later, He kicked off with the decision to play 4-4-2. And after taking over as president, it pushed him out when, suggestively, flags were hung against Gallardo in the center of the popular forum, where the barrabrava was located. While, Ortega was fired in early 2011.

So were two other chickens from his first stage as a handler Hernan Crespo AND Matias Almeyda. Also with “Valdanito”. ended badly after Crespo himself let it be known that Passarella, when he was president of River, gave it to him “He asked for $300,000 to pay back”. Instead, “Pelado” maintains a relationship of respectAs it gave him the opportunity to start his coaching career, though months after his return to Primera, he fired him.

With another river idol with whom the bad relationship had been exposed Fernando Cavenaghi. At the time of the relegation of Núñez’s team, the striker started the return operation, even if Passarella didn’t want it. He exposed it to the media and it ended up coming. The fight began when in 2006 the Kaiser let Torito out of the locker room, who had come to say hello to his former teammates.

With Leonardo PontiusInstead, the story was different. Passarella brought the Santa Fe man to the club, both when he was manager and when he was president. And the former central midfielder recognizes it. So much so that he wanted to invite him to his going away party, but under the circumstances he didn’t. “I would have liked Passarella to be there because he was very representative of my career,” admitted Leo.

Another who bet Passarella was a boast of the goal: Ubaldo Fillol. They shared River and the Selection. Many titles and the World Cup. “With Daniel we are not friends, but we are life warriors. I hope we can give each other a hug and forget some things from the past. It will be impressive that it is. And I believe that at the Monumental we will set an example,” Pato said about his relationship with the Kaiser and Sunday’s tribute that could mark Passarella’s return to River.