A team that can’t score goals, a coach who’s already squandered all his credibility after just a short time, and fans who want the management to go to hell: A major crisis has erupted at River Plate.
It’s a losing streak the likes of which River Plate hasn’t seen in 115 years. The Millionarios hit a low point last Sunday against Rosario, suffering yet another 0–1 loss at their home stadium, the Estadio Monumental—and to make matters worse, it came via an own goal by veteran and World Cup champion Nicolás Otamendi.
The 38-year-old had only returned to his homeland from Benfica Lisbon in July and is just one of many high-profile new signings. Among others, former Frankfurt player Rafael Borré (who came from Internacional Porto Alegre), Mauro Arambarri (FC Getafe), Lucas Beltran (on loan from AC Florence), and, above all, longtime Atlético striker Ángel Correa have also made their way to Buenos Aires—the Mexican club Tigres raked in a whopping 13.5 million euros for the 31-year-old.
But even the many new signings couldn’t halt the negative momentum from the final weeks of the Apertura tournament, especially since record signing Correa injured his right thigh in his second appearance for Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and has been sidelined ever since. The match ended for River Plate just like all three of their previous league games in the Clausura—0–1.
The Millionarios are stumbling from one defeat to the next. The losing streak began on May 24 with a 2–3 loss to Belgrano Córdoba in the Apertura final and has continued unabated. In Group B of the Clausura tournament, River Plate sits in last place with no points.
On top of that, the team also lost 1–3 to CA Aldosivi in the second round of the Copa Argentina. For the first time since 1911, River Plate has thus lost five consecutive matches in competitions organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Another loss to CA Tigre this coming Saturday would mark the worst start to a season in the club’s history in the professional era.
Coudet’s Tough Legacy and the Fans’ Boos
At the center of the storm of criticism is Eduardo Coudet, a coach who has only been on the sidelines since last March and had to take on a difficult legacy. During his two tenures (2014 to 2022 and August 2024 to February 2026), Marcelo Gallardo won 13 titles, including two Copa Libertadores championships. The former River Plate player also took the field as a coach 510 times before throwing in the towel after three consecutive losses. “Things didn’t go as we had planned,” he said upon his departure, which was marked by “emotions and pain because we didn’t achieve our goals.”
Among the fans, the pain has long since turned to anger. Boos directed at some players—and even Coach Coudet—could already be heard as the starting lineup was announced before the match against Rosario. After Otamendi’s alleged own goal in the 27th minute, the already heated atmosphere deteriorated even further, and the management didn’t escape unscathed in the fans’ chants either. When the next defeat was finally sealed in the 83rd minute—despite a yellow-red card for Rosario’s Emanuel Coronel—a chorus of “You all have to go” echoed through the Monumental, a stadium that has truly seen better days.
Calls for Ramon Diaz are growing louder
The question remains: What’s next for River Plate, and will the club give in to the reflex to change coaches? The fans are already calling for the return of Ramon Diaz: During his three stints with the Millionarios, the 66-year-old won seven national and two international titles, including the 1996 Copa Libertadores. He has been without a club since leaving the Brazilian club SC Internacional in November 2025.
Plenty of turmoil, plus a dash of speculation—but what do the River Plate officials actually have to say? The answer: nothing at all, for now.
That’s because the club has effectively muzzled itself, and so Coudet’s press conference following the loss to Rosario was called off. The coach nevertheless sent a brief message via a new profile picture on WhatsApp. “Cowards don’t make history,” it read. But he already knew after the previous defeat—the 0-1 loss to La Plata—that he would have to rewrite his own story as quickly as possible. “River gives you neither leeway nor time,” the 51-year-old had said afterward.
What Gives River Plate Hope
But there are still glimmers of hope for the team in white jerseys with the red diagonal stripe. After all, the Millionarios won 3–0 against Club Blooming from Bolivia in the Copa Sudamericana at the end of May and will face the Colombian club CD Santa Fe in the round of 16. So a title is still within reach—and with it, qualification for international competition next season.
Given the circumstances, River Plate will likely be active on the transfer market once again. A top candidate is midfielder Thiago Almada; reportedly, Atlético Madrid isn’t standing in the way of the 2022 World Cup champion and 2026 World Cup participant.
The 25-year-old from Buenos Aires seems open to a move back home—even if River Plate currently has virtually no compelling arguments to offer.
