Overview
- River announced the departure of Eduardo Coudet on Thursday after the team's elimination by Independiente Santa Fe in the Copa Sudamericana.
- The club named Leonardo Ponzio interim coach and confirmed his support staff as Marcelo Escudero and Christian Manfredi (assistants), Cristian Segura and Nicolás Paolorossi (fitness coaches) and Marcelo Barovero (goalkeeping coach).
- Ponzio will make his debut this Sunday against Banfield and faces immediate pressure to lift a team that sits low in the Clausura and risks missing international qualification.
- The interinato is explicitly temporary and could extend through December if results improve, while the board conducts a careful search that has included Ramón Díaz, Pablo Aimar, Hernán Crespo, Gabriel Milito, Santiago Solari and Eduardo Domínguez among potential hires.
- The move blends institutional continuity and symbolic leadership with clear risks because Ponzio has no prior professional head‑coaching record and River stands to lose significant sporting and financial ground if it fails to qualify for continental competitions.