Fernando Gago unveiled as new head coach of Boca Juniors

Fernando Gago has been unveiled as the new head coach of domestic giants Boca Juniors.

The move, which had been rumoured ever since the departure of coach Diego Martinez a few weeks ago, was confirmed at a press conference in Buenos Aires on Monday. 

It marks Gago’s return to the club where he began his playing career nearly two decades ago. 

“Fernando knows that this is his home and we are very happy that he is here. We bosteros are all very happy,” declared club president Juan Román Riquelme at a press conference.

Gago, 38, quit Mexican side Chivas Guadalajara to return to Boca.

“It's a very strong sensation, emotional, the memories, situations that helped me to grow,” he said.

“I think it comes at a good time for me,” said Gago, who described the move as a “good opportunity.”

He said he had a “great desire to achieve something important” with Boca.

Gago, who also played for Real Madrid, Valencia, AS Roma and Vélez Sarsfield, returns to Boca with a clear and immediate mission: qualifying for the 2025 Copa Libertadores and winning the Copa Argentina.

The new coach’s first match will be this Saturday’s league match against Tigre. Boca sit 10th in the domestic championship, 12 points behind leaders Vélez with 10 rounds of fixtures to go.

Gago used the press conference to explain his approach to the game.

“It's going to be a team that's going to want to have the ball, that's going to go out and attack and that's going to want to win games,” said the former midfielder, who said he will be looking for Boca to be competitive both “internally and externally.”

He was also blunt about his expectations from the club’s stars, remarking that "the players have to understand that they are at the best club.”

Gago made his coaching debut at Aldosivi in Mar del Plata three seasons ago, before moving onto Racing, where he won the Trofeo de Campeones and Supercopa.

He moved to Chivas only last December and departed with a record of 17 wins, 11 draws and 10 defeats in 38 games.

Gago is the sixth coach appointed since Riquelme returned to Boca as a club director in December 2019, initially as second vice-president.

The new coach confessed in his press conference that informal talks over his appointment had begun “three or four weeks” ago. 

He finally spoke to Riquelme last Tuesday.

“I made the decision that I thought was best for me from a sporting and professional point of view, it wasn't very difficult,” he said.

Reports in Argentina suggest that Albiceleste national team midfielder Leandro Paredes could be Gago's first signing. 

The AS Roma star has a contract that runs until June 2025, but Gago and Riquelme want to see if they can convince the player to move back to Buenos Aires before it expires in seven months.

– TIMES/AFP/NA