“This is not the congress, it's the CAI” was the phrase written on one of the posters. The 'Red Devils' had a forgettable second half of the year, after having reached the semi-finals of the Opening Tournament -losing on penalties against Huracán- in the first half and with great chances of qualifying for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. However, the second part was completely different. Independiente went thirteen rounds without a victory in the local championship, was scandalously eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana due to serious incidents during the match against Universidad de Chile, and, with two rounds to go in the Closing, they were left with no options to qualify for the round of 16. Dreaming of the Copa Sudamericana: the results Independiente needs to qualify. The only thing that could save the tragic year of the team led by Gustavo Quinteros would be to qualify for the 2026 Copa Sudamericana. For this, a series of chained results would have to occur, in addition to obtaining a victory against Rosario Central -who only lost one match in all of 2025- on the last matchday. During the protest that took place in October, “no barra bravas, no opposition, we are the partners, the ones who gave birth to you,” had been the cry of the fans who entered the central hall of the headquarters to express their discontent over how the entity is being managed. Independiente partners entered the headquarters on Avenida Mitre and pointed against the leadership. A new group of Independiente partners showed up at the club's headquarters located at Avenida Mitre 470 to protest the complicated sporting, economic, and institutional situation that the red entity is going through. A similar episode had occurred in the Avellaneda venue on Thursday, October 16, and almost a month later, the 'Red' fans returned to sing against the Board of Directors headed by Néstor Grindetti. “The club belongs to the partners” was the chant heard in a video shared on social media, accompanied by applause and flags as a protest against the current management.
