The privacy of Gago’s meeting with the Racing players and the reasons that led to his resignation

The meeting was confidential. In the technician’s office there were only Fernando Gago and the references. Outside, the rest of the players. Leonardo Sigali, Gabriel Arias, Iván Pillud and Gabriel Hauche heard strong words from the young coach shortly after the landslide defeat against Talleres in the Cilindro. “If I’m the problem, I’m leaving”, said to them. The four historians asked him not to resign, that they will stand trial on the playing field, which has not been noticed in the last few matches from a football point of view. As for attitude, behind closed doors there are no reproaches.

“The discussion with the players remains there. It is logical that they talk about my continuity, but I am calm. I have the strength to continue and we will work so that the team works,” said Gago in a press conference which was delayed due to the dialogue that he has had with the more experienced footballers.

The technician is shocked by the situation. For the results and why The team does not seem to find its way back in the face of so many absences. Close to him they assure that they are trying to demonize Roberto Luzzi, the physical trainer, in the face of many injuries but it is the same methodology as last year, when Racing added 80 points and played two 120-minute matches against Tigre and Bocca .

“We have many players out at the same time and this is not normal”, they indicate in the coaching staff. The list of injured players includes Emiliano Vecchio, Leonel Miranda, Johan Carbonero, Matías Rojas, Aníbal Moreno, Gabriel Rojas and Gonzalo Piovi. Edwin Cardona returned on Monday, coming on in the final minutes of the duel against Cordoba.

Beyond this reality that Gago can cling to to explain the team’s decline, the operation has suffered collectively. A little for himThe interpreters who are not up to parso for the decline of the usual titles (coincidentally, the referents) and, without a doubt, because the technician fails in the posesomething that seemed to correct before Flamengo, a party in which he was more conservative.

Gago, however, stands by his conviction. After threatening to slam the door, which seemed more like a strategy to generate more player engagement than a wish, he is calm and confident that the team will start to recover. On the other hand, it has the approval of the leaders. In fact, last night he had a word with Vice President Miguel Jiménez. Víctor Blanco, who left as soon as the match ended, supports him. What’s more, he even offered him a contract renewal until the end of his mandate, which will be in December next year.

Gago doesn’t want to move in that direction until mid-season. He knows that he must first reconfigure the team and achieve the minimum goal, which is the qualification for the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. Then the image will be clearer. He takes into account that injured players will recover, Agustin Almendra will arrivefree from Boca and with a signed pre-contract, and who will invest a lot in reinforcements. Repatriating Gustavo Bou is an idea that circulates on the blue and white sidewalk of Avellaneda.

Of course, for the planets to align again as Gago imagines, he has to start winning. There is no other secret in football. The harvest of 1 point from the round of 16 in the Professional League is worrying. And it obviously contrasts with the leadership in group A of the Copa Libertadores which is also made up of Flamengo, the reigning champion, Aucas and Ñublense.

Will the turning point be the top of the dressing room, as Gago thinks?