DistantNews
Support us
River Plate Fires Coach Coudet; Leonardo Ponzio Takes Interim Role Image: EFE
🇨🇱 Chile /Sports

River Plate Fires Coach Coudet; Leonardo Ponzio Takes Interim Role

From Cooperativa · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • River Plate has dismissed head coach Eduardo "Chacho" Coudet following the team's elimination from the Copa Sudamericana and a poor run of results.
  • Club president Stefano Di Carlo announced that former player Leonardo Ponzio will take over as interim coach, assisted by Marcelo Escudero.
  • Coudet acknowledged that the team's lack of results made his continued tenure unsustainable, stating that winning and playing well are essential at River Plate.

River Plate's ongoing sporting crisis has led to the dismissal of head coach Eduardo "Chacho" Coudet. The decision follows the team's elimination from the Copa Sudamericana and a string of disappointing performances.

From the beginning, we said there was a process, where we were aware that River is unsustainable without results.

— Eduardo CoudetCoudet reflected on his tenure and the pressure to win at River Plate during the press conference announcing his dismissal.

Club president Stefano Di Carlo confirmed the change, announcing that former player Leonardo Ponzio will step in as the interim coach. Marcelo Escudero, who currently manages the reserve team, will assist Ponzio during this transitional period. Di Carlo expressed confidence in Ponzio's readiness to manage the situation.

Coudet himself attended the press conference announcing his departure. He admitted that the team's failure to achieve desired results made his position untenable. "From the beginning, we said there was a process, and we were aware that River Plate is unsustainable without results," Coudet stated. "I was the first to set deadlines, and I knew that at this club, you have to win and play well."

I was the first to set deadlines, and I knew that at this club, you have to win and play well.

— Eduardo CoudetCoudet acknowledged the high expectations and the necessity of achieving results during his press conference.

Since the resumption of play after the 2026 World Cup, River Plate has struggled significantly, recording only one victory alongside six losses and two draws. The Copa Sudamericana exit, after a penalty shootout loss to Independiente Santa Fe in the round of 16, proved to be the final blow. This poor form extends to other competitions, including an elimination by Aldosivi in the Copa Argentina and a weak performance in the Torneo Clausura, where they currently sit second to last in Group B with four points from six matches. The club had made significant investments in strengthening the squad with players like Nicolas Otamendi, Angel Correa, and Thiago Almada, making the current results even more concerning.

We believe he has all the aptitudes and has prepared himself during this time with us to manage this transition situation.

— Stefano Di CarloClub president Stefano Di Carlo expressed confidence in Leonardo Ponzio's ability to lead the team as interim coach.
About this summary

Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog