Martín Demichelis, the day after River-Boca and his incredible anecdote about Messi’s wedding: “We lost the photo”

Martin Demichelis have fun being a technician River. It’s what he prepared for after finishing his football career. And the opportunity came after the farewell of Marcelo Gallardo, no less. And these days, the coach, passionate and native of River Plate as he is, lives the joy that his team has beaten Mouthinside Monumental.

The sensations left by River’s victory over Boca with the penalty he converted still palpitate Miguel Borgia about the end of the game. But beyond emotion, Demichelis also appeals to reason to explain why he was victorious in the Super classic.

“If anyone deserved to win, it was us. I think we subdued Boca in the first half so they wouldn’t pass in the middle of the pitch, we generated more situations even if we didn’t specify them. In the second half, things got a little even. There was a moment in which what Boca has put together touches, but without gravitating and football is often decided in particular situations,” said the River coach in a very rich conversation with ESPN F90.

And on the decisive play Demichelis was clear and decisive: “I thought it was a penalty. And I won’t go into the budget whether it was a minor penalty, a payable penalty or not. there is no mid pregnancy. It’s either pregnancy or it’s not. And it gives you the pattern that the bodily reaction of the fouler (Sandez) and those close to him who didn’t even end up protesting, seeing the contact was criminal.

From there, an unexpected result was generated. After Borja’s goal, Monumental exploded and onto the pitch Agostino Palavecino he was an erupting volcano when he shouted it in Nicolás Figal’s face. “Palavecino immediately apologized to me. He came up to me and said, “I’m sorry because they’re going to kick me out.” Then he apologized three more times. He’s a good guy who made a mistake, he realized it and apologized publicly,” Micho said.

The Figal chicane had not gone unnoticed this week. The Boca defender had stated that he will play a good match at “chicken coop”. Then, the River coach picked up the glove and used it in the previous favor. And far from arguing, he commented: “I told my players that what he said would give us more strength. Because Figal said they would win in Chile and play a good game on the River pitch, for which he used another term, but I don’t agree. And what he said is that they would have had a lot of respect for River, and that’s because of the good our team has done, for the strength they have.”

The victory over Boca it allowed River to extend the lead over San Lorenzo, his escort, who drew 0-0 with Defense and Justice. But Micho is down to earth and assures that you have to go “day by day”. And that excessive praise is not good. “We’re an excellent team, it’s clear, because in the last 30 points we scored 28 and they only scored one goal. But we are not here to compete with Manchester City when they bring in players worth millions of euros. A match may be, but not a 38-date championship.

And he added: “I know the requirements of the story of the river. I don’t like excessive flattery either, There is no champion with 37 points. In the previous week a fluminense there was an excess of flattery.”

The victory over Boca also gave Demichelis serenity, beyond the joy that it means to see the people of River and his family happy, all fans of the red armband. Especially after a tough defeat in Brazil against Fluminense for the Copa Libertadores. But he admits that this fall has not made him lose concentration and that his working methodology has been the same since he took office, beyond the nuances in the changes of position or tactics.

“I really like the 4-3-3 because you can change many things”, admitted the River coach, but logically he adapts to what is best for the players, beyond his idea (“always based and never imposed “, he stressed). It is above all because he is convinced of what he is proposing and there is something in that proposal that he cannot resign: “River must be protagonists,” he said.

Demichelis trained in the Núñez club and made it clear what he felt in the club since he was in the Bassa. “I perceived many things when I was coached as a River player and when I made my debut in the First Division I was worried about stopping him from the chest and playing. As a centre-back I made mistakes many times because it was very important for me to make sense of the pass and not throw it away nowhere”.

That position is what he’s trying to emphasize as a coach today. “The gift of the pass is one of the most important things in my methodology. From day one until today we have never done an exercise without the ball,” he confided. And he added: “We need to be protagonists and dominant, through possession, as vertical as possible”.

He is so passionate about tactics that he shared a very amusing anecdote with Gabriel Milito, coach of Argentinos Juniors and his former teammate in the national team. When we went to the wedding of Messi I met Gaby Milito and we stayed for two hours talking about tactics and football. And we missed the photo. The day we played against Argentinos I wanted to explain to the players the different plans I was going to makear Milito and what to do in any case that got out of hand, and then everything froze. Then I realized that the best thing is not to give so many explanations.

And he was very clear about what he asks of the players. “I ask the players on the pitch the same thing I ask of them during the week. I won’t expect anything from them that hasn’t been worked on in training.” And he underlined that the most important thing is that the players are well and that they are recognized. “I worry little or nothing that they recognize me. At River you have to win titles, the recognition must always come from the players.”

“Day by day”, the motto of Demichelis

When Martín Demichelis was asked about his dreams, the River coach said he only thinks about what he will do the next day. And he explained why his motto is “day by day”. He is related to the loss of his father. “I dream day by day. I had so many dreams with my father and from one day to the next I lost him in an accident. That’s why you have to enjoy the day,” said Micho, who assures that he enjoys training every day at RiverCamp.

Demichelis lost his father in 2013, due to a car accident on the road. And she had already lost her mother when she was just 14 years old.