Martín Demichelis-Enzo Pérez: why the relationship between the River coach and the idol who went to Estudiantes broke down

Martin Demichelis He has the most important match of the semester ahead of him River. The fans look at him askance, his team is far from the level shown last year and losing a final could mark the beginning of the end of his experience as coach of the Millionaire. But what increases the pressure Micho is that on the other side there will be Eduardo Domínguez’s Estudiantes Enzo Perez in the middle of the field.

This Wednesday, in Córdoba (from 9.15pm, on Star+, Espn Premium and TNT Sports) Demichelis and Pérez will meet again in the final of Argentina Super Cup after Mendoza’s controversial departure from Núñez’s team covered by a solemn silence that actually said many things.

With those words, Enzo Pérez said goodbye to River on December 23rd, after winning his tenth title with the club, obtaining the Champions Trophy, after the 2-0 of Núñez’s team over Rosario Central in Santiago del Estero. Then he underlined: “This is not the time to talk. “I want to leave with great memories.”

What did Enzo Pérez have to say and did he choose to remain silent? Why didn’t he say it? Obviously, the man from Mendoza felt uncomfortable in his last time at River, a situation generated by the discomfort he had with Martin Demichelisrevealed that night at Madre de Ciudades and subsequently confirmed with the player’s decision to return to Estudiantes de La Plata.

In Santiago del Estero, when Pérez left the pitch, waving to the River Plate crowd who cheered him and kissing the shield on his shirt, when he reached the sideline he hugged Jonatan Maidana, the other historic player he greeted that evening and who replaced it and Then he began to greet each of those on the reserve bench.

It started with members of the coaching staff and continued with his teammates. He said goodbye to everyone except Javier Pinola and Demichelis. He did it with Pinola later, during the awards ceremony. They hugged each other for a long time and with all their hearts. Evidently he hadn’t approached before because the field assistant was almost attached to the coach.

As far as he knew Clarion, in the last months that Pérez and Demichelis lived together at River they had almost no dialogue. Now, What happened between them for the relationship to end that way? They had been teammates in the national team and when Micho arrived they appeared, at least outwardly, united. They also hugged each other after celebrating a goal in the middle of the Monumentale field when Enzo came on “cococho” of the coach.

However, The relationship broke down after the players learned of the conversations the coach had had with journalists.of which the players had received the version of some criticism from the DT.

But in truth the problem arose before. And there were several factors. Among these, some unusual public statements by the coach and his exposure on television programs; and, on the other, football issues.

From those around Mendoza, they assured it ““Enzo felt from the first moment that Demichelis wanted to remove him from the team.”, beyond what he said in press conferences or the praise he gave him. First of all with the arrival of Matías Kranevitter, injured in the first friendly and left out for a long time. And later, when Pérez himself remained without playing for three weeks due to synovitis in his knee, in the middle of the year, the coach imagined a team with four midfielders, with Rodrigo Aliendro as “5”.

But those problems are already part of the past, beyond the irritation that River fans feel in seeing Enzo, already considered an idol of Núñez, at Estudiantes de La Plata. Pérez chose to return to the club with which he won his first Copa Libertadores, in 2009.

Finally, after his decision to leave River, where he won 10 titles, including the 2018 Libertadores, not having the opportunities he could have had from abroad (Inter Miami, the team where Lionel Messi plays, and All Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, where Marcelo Gallardo manages), and which Deportivo Maipú, the club where he started and to which he brought resources in recent times, did not reach the First Division, Mendoza accepted the offer of the Pincha management.

And so what Juan Sebastián Verón and his companions had cooked over a slow heat and with patience was consumed. The fact is that Estudiantes had been seducing Pérez since he confirmed his departure from River. But in reality they had already spoken to him before, when Enzo interrupted the negotiation for the renewal with Núñez’s club.

From Verón himself, vice-president of Estudiantes, to other Pincha idols – and his former teammates in the historic 2009 Copa Libertadores – such as Mariano Andújar, they were the ones who they ate the head behind the wheel to turn around.

Pérez – with a contract until December – played 9 games in the red and white shirt, but with stripes (8 in the League Cup, with one assist; and one in the Argentine Cup). Now Enzo is preparing to face a complex challenge, not only from a footballing point of view, but also from an emotional point of view: the final of the Argentine Super Cup.

The one between Estudiantes, who accepted because they were champions of the Argentine Cup, and River (winner of the Professional League) was already classified as a “morbid match” because they will once again cross paths with Demichelis and Enzo Pérez. Will there be a greeting?