“I Have Contract Until June and My Goal is to Complete It”: Ariel Holan Responds on His Continuity

Cerro Porteño coach Ariel Holan has definitively stated his commitment to remaining with the club until his contract expires in June of next year. Addressing questions about his future following a significant Superclásico defeat and a setback in the Copa Libertadores, Holan asserted his intention to complete his tenure.

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I have a contract until June next year, and in my mind, I intend to complete it; this is not a matter of desire, it's a matter of seeing what tools we have and trying to do what I've been telling you colleagues in this conference: try to recover players and assemble the best possible team, and that the young players who are growing with us continue to do so, and that there is high competitiveness.

"I have a contract until June next year, and in my mind, I intend to complete it," Holan stated during a press conference. He clarified that his decision is not based on desire but on assessing the available resources and working to improve the squad. "This is not a matter of desire, it's a matter of seeing what tools we have and trying to do what I've been telling you colleagues in this conference: try to recover players and assemble the best possible team, and that the young players who are growing with us continue to do so, and that there is high competitiveness."

Holan recognized that the team's intensity suffered due to a demanding schedule of important matches. "After a game like Wednesday's, there is no time to lower the tension level, and it's logical sometimes if that happens. Today we didn't play, I think, at the maximum tension level we can play at, and I think that made the difference in the game," he explained.

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After a game like Wednesday's, there is no time to lower the tension level, and it's logical sometimes if that happens. Today we didn't play, I think, at the maximum tension level we can play at, and I think that made the difference in the game.

The coach also sought to contextualize the team's current situation, pointing to their strong performance in the Copa Libertadores as exceeding expectations, especially in the knockout stages. He described the team's journey as a "process" where instability is natural. "This is a process, and in processes, these things can happen. We had a great Libertadores, above the average of what we all expected given the magnitude of the rivals we faced; not so much in the group stage, but yes in the round of 16. And today, in the game that immediately followed that, the truth is that some things worked out and other things did not go well."

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This is a process, and in processes, these things can happen. We had a great Libertadores, above the average of what we all expected given the magnitude of the rivals we faced; not so much in the group stage, but yes in the round of 16.