Rodolfo Arruabarrena set to become next Boca Juniors coach

Rodolfo Arruabarrena is on the verge of being appointed the new head coach of Boca Juniors, with club president Juan Román Riquelme reportedly finalizing the deal. Arruabarrena, a former left-back for the club, has accepted the offer, and discussions are ongoing to resolve contractual details, the composition of his coaching staff, and day-to-day management.

The proposed contract is for 18 months, extending until December 2027. Arruabarrena, 50, would return to Argentina after a decade abroad. During his playing career at Boca, he appeared in 178 matches, scored 17 goals, and won three titles, including the 1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura, and the 2000 Copa Libertadores.

As a coach, Arruabarrena managed Boca from 2014 to 2016, leading the team to two titles: the 2015 league championship and the 2015 Copa Argentina. However, his tenure also included significant defeats, such as eliminations by River Plate in the 2014 Copa Sudamericana and the 2015 Copa Libertadores, as well as a 4-0 loss to San Lorenzo in the 2016 Supercopa.

Boca is looking for a new manager after terminating Claudio Ubeda's contract prematurely. Ubeda had taken over following the death of Miguel Russo, but recent poor performances in the Clausura 2025 and Apertura 2026 tournaments, along with an early exit from the Copa Libertadores 2026, led to the decision. Other candidates like Antonio Mohamed and Néstor Lorenzo were considered but are currently employed elsewhere.