Martín Palermo returns to Monumental, where he celebrated his first time as a player and wants to repeat himself as DT

Martin Palermo will return to Monumental exactly 26 years and 19 days after his first visit as a player Studentsa 4-1 consecration, on May 2, 1997. It will now be his debut as a rival manager, as he has only been local to his steps through Godoy Cruz and Arsenal and has not faced Aldosivi.

That night of the match corresponding to the 10th date of the opening, the Titan scored two goals, the first with a big pumped right foot after a nice collective movement, and the second with a header. In those days there was already talk of a possible move to Boca, but River also signed up to sign him. A few months later, he made his debut for the Xeneize club, with whom he played another 10 matches on the River pitch.

“We didn’t expect to win 2-0 in the first 15 minutes,” confessed the 23-year-old Palermo in the dressing room. And he acknowledged having scored the best goal of his career up to that point: “Yes, but at the same level as a very similar one I scored against Rosario Central. The differences were that one was left handed and this one was right handed. And tonight was more important.”

With the Boca shirt, Martín scored 3 goals in 10 games and achieved only one victory. However, one of the most celebrated goals by the titan and the people was the one scored against the Peruvian team in the World Cup qualifiers in South Africa. On 10 October 2009, Argentina drew 1-1 with Peru and complicated their chances of qualifying. In the agony of the match, Palermo scored the winning goal, celebrated under a downpour, with an unforgettable celebration of Diego Maradona gliding like a dove on the wet grass of the Monumental.

It wasn’t the only game he played for the national team at the River. There was also May 24, 2010, in the 5-0 win against Canada, in the last international friendly before the away match for the World Cup. He came on as a second-half substitute for Higuaín but didn’t score a goal.

The first match he played for Boca at the Monumental it was historic and had him as protagonist together with Diego Maradona. It was October 25, 1997. River was a two-time Argentine soccer champion and was looking for a three-time championship. He had 22 points, one more than Boca. The millionaire coach was Ramón Díaz and that of Boca, Héctor Veira. The stadium was exploding.

The locals led 1-0 at the end of the first half thanks to a goal from Sergio Berti. At half-time, the Bambino saw off Diego and those first 45 minutes were the Argentine star’s last officials. Nelson Vivas also came out. Enter Claudio Caniggia and Juan Román Riquelme. With 2 minutes left, Julio César Toresani equalised. And in the 22nd minute, with a header, the Titan scored the winning goal. Boca reached the top but then the title went to River. That night also meant Maradona’s farewell as a footballer.

It was the only victory Palermo achieved in his 10 visits to the Monumental with Boca. After, drew four and lost five. And he scored two more goals, one in the 1-1 draw on 15 October 2000 and another on 25 October 2009, a match which also ended on equal merit. The last visit was in 2010, on 16 November 2010, River won 1-0 with a goal from Jonatan Maidana, a victory which meant the confirmation of Juan José López as DT of a team that would end the season relegated .

The history of Palermo as DT

Palermo began his coaching career at Godoy Cruz de Mendoza in 2012. Before coming to Platense, he also directed Arsenal, Spanish Union of Chile, Pachuca from Mexico, United Curicó of Chile AND aldosives from Mar del Plata. Four times he faced River, always with his teams playing at home and I never win.

The first two were with Tomba Mendoza, on April 22, 2013 they lost 2-1 and on August 19, 2013 they drew 0-0, both games at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium. Then, with Arsenal, two new draws. On 26 September 2014 it was 1-1 and on 17 March 2015, with an incredible comeback by Millo who lost 3-1 and was equalized by Rodrigo Mora two minutes from the end.

After 12 and a half years, Martín Palermo returns to the Monumentalhoping to continue making history.