Marcelo Gallardo announced his resignation as head coach of River Plate following a streak of poor results, including the defeat to Vélez. Now the club faces the challenge of reinventing itself in record time. The 2026 calendar offers no respite: the Copa Sudamericana, the Torneo Apertura, and the Copa Argentina demand immediate answers. Therefore, the new coach will have to deliver results from day one, with no margin for error or an extended adaptation period. According to the Argentine News Agency, River's activity will continue this Thursday with the match against Banfield, which will be the last for 'Muñeco' as the club's head coach. One of the main objectives for this year will be the Copa Sudamericana, a competition they have not participated in since 2015, which could help end their seven-year drought without international titles. Four days later, with a new coach, they will face a tough challenge when they visit Independiente Rivadavia from Mendoza, one of the best teams in the early stages of this Torneo Apertura. Before the FIFA break, 'Millonario' will have to play four more matches: one against Atlético Tucumán, with no date set due to the AFA strike, and the others against Huracán, Sarmiento, and Estudiantes de Río Cuarto, all in the Torneo Apertura. The new head coach of River will not have an easy job. Despite Gallardo's departure, the squad has more than enough quality to reverse the sporting situation and compete on all fronts, so the pressure will be from the very beginning of the new cycle. In the Torneo Apertura, they will need to have a very good campaign to qualify for the playoffs, while in the Copa Argentina they are already in the Round of 16.
