Martín Demichelis’ plan to wash the heads of River players: the drastic decision that could mark a new turning point

Martin Demichelis He tried to calm down in the Malvinas Argentinas de Mendoza locker room. Minutes had passed since the 4-0 Independent Rivadavia in the Challenge of Champions, a friendly match pending compared to last year. Discomfort invaded the coach River, who decided not to speak at the press conference. And much more: he informed the team that he would train over the weekend, with a measure that caused internal noise.

Demichelis is making firm decisions. Esequiel Barco’s public rudeness in the match against Atlético Tucumán was a disappointment. Remember: the attacking midfielder did not respect the coach’s order that Miguel Borja was the executor and not him. Immediately, Demichelis took him out at half-time in a clear sign of authority.

Another powerful reaction occurred in the Argentine Super Cup in Córdoba against Estudiantes. River played terribly in the first half and the coach began to find himself in the eye of the storm. He was even insulted by some fans. At halftime Demichelis looked furious and angry with his team. “It was spicy,” confessed Ignacio Fernández after the consecration. “He screwed us,” added Matías Kranevitter.

“At half-time I told the boys that the final isn’t coming back and that the match had to be played and won. I tried to make them understand that in the first half we weren’t playing well. They obeyed, they dedicated themselves to the game and the fruits are there.” , explained the DT.

Demichelis defined the victory against Estudiantes as the match of click, take off. There were laughter, celebrations, applause and goals in the subsequent 3-1 victory against Gimnasia. Everything seemed to blossom. Until the friendly match against Independiente Rivadavia arrived and “the blow in the foot”, as it was classified behind closed doors.

Last Friday’s 0-4 defeat in Mendoza mobilized Demichelis, who made a tough decision: he scheduled training for Sunday. From River they reported that the coach had not given the weekend off, even though many players believed so. Some even planned getaways with their families, as they would only return to training on Monday.

Within the squad, Demichelis’ size is annoying. But the players also realized that they didn’t have much space to kick after the worrying fall against Mendoza Leprosy. “Training on Monday and Tuesday was very good,” the club reported.

Huracán on Friday and then their Copa Libertadores debut on Tuesday against Deportivo Táchira in Venezuela. The results will be fundamental, therefore, to establish whether the measure taken by Demichelis in Mendoza remains a simple anecdote or whether it is a new sign in his changed relationship with the team.