Boca have forgotten the âÂÂfundamental principlesâ that took the club to the heights it reached while under the presidency of Mauricio Macri, according to, ahem, Mauricio Macri.
Despite a 4-0 win under their third coach of the season on Monday, things are far from ship shape at the Bombonera.
Martin Palermo finally scored his 219th goal to become the all-time top scorer at the club, but the man who served the goal on a plate â Juan Román Riquelme â decided to celebrate the goal as if he himself had scored it. He wouldnâÂÂt be caught dead congratulating his teammate, no matter how historic the achievement.
The battle of the egos is one problem at Boca, but there are plenty others. It goes back to the âÂÂfundamental principles,â apparently.
Macri - what you get if you cross fun and mental...maybe
Speaking of which, when the Buenos Aires mayor and probable presidential candidate next year is not casting a wistful eye over his former charges, Macri is trying to save the streets of Buenos Aires.
He recently targeted the trapitos - those pesky hawkers who charge you to âÂÂtake careâ of your car when you park on the street. When you go to a football game, for example.
Argie Bargy readers will surely find no irony in the fact that the trapitos working during matchdays at Boca are run by the barra brava, La Doce, who in turn receive favours from the board of directorsâ¦
Questioned about his policy of wanting to imprison the trapitos, one interviewer suggested to Macri that a deeper solution to the problem needed to be found, and that imprisoning them all just wasnâÂÂt practical.
âÂÂDo you just want me to kill them all, then?â asked a surprised Macri. âÂÂI donâÂÂt understand.âÂÂ
So was that fundamental, or fundamentalist, principles?
Whatever it is, Boca are still in ruins. Some papers claim the club is looking for Plan B, but we all know they are onto Plan D. Alfio Basile was A, Abel Alves B, Tito Pompei is now C and they need to find someone for next season. Favourite for the job, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, isnâÂÂt keen (or infact has just said no) while Riquelme is at the club.
In comparison to whoever takes over at the Bombonera, second-choice Steve McClaren must look back at that approach from the FA and feel like a heart throb.
Still, Boca arenâÂÂt the only ones changing coach. River PlateâÂÂs Leo Astrada became the 7th casualty of the board room guillotine this weekend after a dire goalless draw in Tucumán.
Must.....not.....make.....CHiPs....joke
First of all Racing fired Claudio Vivas, Atlético Tucumán then showed Chiche Sosa the door, Ariel Cuffaro Russo left Central, Fernando Gamboa refused to listen to the board so he quit, Diego Simeone probably slammed the door as he left San Lorenzo, Abel Alves left Boca before suffering a coronary, and now Leo Astrada has joined the list.
Looking like he walked off the set of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, in between puffs Astrada stressed to journalists that he didnâÂÂt quit. He was sacked.
Everybody knows that RiverâÂÂs problems run deep, but Astrada can hardly complain after trying 13 different formations in as many games (more formations than goals, pointed out Olé), the side hadnâÂÂt scored for over 460 minutes and they have one point to show from the last five games.
So who now then? Over 50% of fans wanted Ramón DÃÂaz back at the Monumental, some millonario fans even put up a huge banner at the club asking for the return of the Baldy.
President Daniel Passarella had other ideas, however. The man to take over will be ÃÂngel Cappa, the king of the tiki tiki.
While River Plate dream of beautiful football, trophies, eloquent press conferences and progressive politics, other coaches will be worrying about their jobs, or at least suspension.
Omar Asad was watching his side cruise to a 6-2 over Tigre in the Monday Mendoza sun, going top of the table in the process, before Ricardo Caruso kicked a ball his way.
âÂÂYouâÂÂre full of it,â shouted the Godoy Cruz coach at his opposite number. âÂÂYou take money from your players,â slapping imaginary 100 peso notes into his hand.
âÂÂFatty. Queer. Druggy,â was CarusoâÂÂs instant reply, which just in case nobody had heard or seen, he repeated for the cameras over and over while mysteriously raising an imaginary something to his nose and inhaling.
Ricardo Caruso - Argentinean football's Oscar Wilde
Caruso later denied saying drogón, (druggy), and claimed it was in fact morfón (greedy guts). He, like much of the local press, forgot that he also said falopero several times. Junkie.
In all probability nothing will happen to either coach, but in case AFA are lost for ideas of possible punishments, they could always consult Macri.
Results
NewellâÂÂs 3-0 Chacarita
Huracán 3-1Gimnasia
Independiente 0-1 San Lorenzo
Lanús 0-0 Central
Vélez 0-0 Banfield
Atlético Tucumán 0-0 River
Godoy Cruz 6-2 Tigre
Estudiantes 4-0 Racing
Boca 4-0 Arsenal
Argentinos 3-1 Colón
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