Boca Juniors coach Diego Martinez resigns after third straight defeat

A third straight defeat has triggered the departure of Diego Martínez as Boca Juniors coach, who announced his resignation on Saturday after the Xeneize lost 2-0 at Belgrano.

“I have simply come to inform you that I have resigned. I spoke with the people on the [Boca Juniors] board, with the president [Juan Roman Riquelme] and the players, and we decided that I am not going to continue in the role as coach,” Martinez announced at a brief press conference, at which he took no questions.

“We are all very responsible, the healthiest thing, the best thing for the institution is that we leave the position and that in this way the boys can get through this difficult moment,” added Martínez.

The head coach’s situation had already become untenable after losing derbies against Racing (1-2) and River Plate (0-1). Saturday’s league loss to Belgrano only underlined the side’s poor form and the mental state of the squad, which has not responded to any of the coach’s changes.

Martinez arrived at Boca last January tasked with replacing Jorge Almirón, who had just led the Xeneize to the Copa Libertadores 2023 final.

However, Almirón’s form on the continent overshadowed a poor domestic record.

This season, Boca were eliminated by Brazil’s Cruzeiro in the last 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, lost in the semi-finals of the local Copa de Liga tournament, and with 11 games left to play, they are already way behind leaders Vélez Sarsfield in the Liga Profesional de Fútbol.

Boca will have to win the Copa Argentina if they are to qualify for the Copa Libertadores 2025.

Martinez’s tenure ends with a patchy record – he registered 20 wins, 15 draws and 10 defeats in his 45 games in charge.

– TIMES/AFP