Veteran coach Miguel Ángel Russo took over on Monday as the new manager of Boca Juniors, taking charge of the Xeneize for the third time in his career.
Russo, 69, has been tasked with preparing the side ahead of the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States.
The veteran coach, who until recently managed San Lorenzo, will make his debut on the bench when Boca take on Portugal’s Benfica on June 16 in the opening match of the revamped international tournament.
“I know what Boca is about, I know how to carry myself here, I know how to be here, and I know what Boca fans need,” Russo said on Monday during his unveiling at the club’s training ground in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province.
“Today’s a different day,” said club President Juan Román Riquelme. “We’re presenting the last manager who gave us the [Copa] Libertadores [title in 2007] – and because he’s my friend. I want him to enjoy this. I love you, Miguel. Congratulations.”
Russo parted ways with San Lorenzo last week following a meeting with club President Julio Lopardo, after a 1–0 defeat to Platense in the Apertura semi-finals, a result that ended El Ciclón’s hopes of reaching the final.
That match marked the end of Russo’s second spell in charge of San Lorenzo, which lasted seven months and followed a disastrous 2024 season in which the club had hovered above the relegation zone.
Russo managed to steer the team back into contention in the first half of 2025, but has now jumped ship to return to Boca.
His return to La Boca had long been an open secret. Local media outlets had speculated for days about the arrival of the softly spoken tactician.
“A lot of things have been said – a lot of nonsense,” Russo said, referring to the coverage surrounding his exit from San Lorenzo and return to Boca. “Most of what’s been said just isn’t true.”
The coach was keen to stress that his longstanding relationship with Riquelme and the club had remained intact throughout the years. “Even when I wasn’t at Boca, Román kept in touch. We’ve always had a close relationship,” he said.
In his first stint with Boca, Russo led the team to the 2007 Libertadores title with Riquelme as the star man. He left at the end of that year after losing the Club World Cup final to AC Milan.
His second spell came years later, this time with Riquelme as a club director. He claimed two domestic titles: the 2019/2020 Superliga and the 2020 Diego Maradona Cup.
Russo’s tenure eventually fizzled out, months later when Boca lost in the semi-finals of the 2020 Copa Libertadores to Brazil’s Santos, and were controversially knocked out by Atlético Mineiro in the 2021 knockouts in Belo Horizonte.
Russo’s new assignment is to reverse Boca’s disastrous decline in the first half of 2025.
The Xeneize were eliminated in the second round of the Libertadores and lost in the Apertura quarter-finals. A string of defeats in key matches – including a 2–1 loss to arch-rivals River – prompted the sacking of former manager Fernando Gago.
Known for his ability to steady troubled ships, Russo has been brought back by Riquelme to restore calm to the dressing room. The atmosphere at the club has been increasingly tense, with poor performances fuelling fan anger and frustration.
Player performances have been heavily criticised, and for the first time, frustration is also being directed at the club’s leadership – including Riquelme himself. Widely considered to be one of the greatest players in Boca’s history, the former number 10 is now gambling his reputation by going back to the past.
On squad planning, Russo confirmed that work is already under way behind the scenes. “We’re talking collectively and individually, setting out standards. Román and the people at the football council are moving a lot, but until something is finalised, we have to stay calm,” he said.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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