Buenos Aires, March 4 (NA) – Eduardo “Chacho” Coudet was presented this Wednesday as the new head coach of River Plate. During the press conference, he emphasized that he did not come “to a birthday party” and announced that “we have to win championships.” In this context, Coudet will have a year full of challenges for the “Millionaire,” both locally and internationally, as he attempts to end the nearly three-year title drought. Challenges for Coudet's River in 2026: Torneo Apertura: River had a very poor start to the local championship, losing three consecutive matches, which led to Marcelo Gallardo's resignation. However, in their last appearance, River defeated Banfield 3-1 and managed to secure a spot in Zone B, where they occupy seventh place with 11 points and are in a playoff position. Copa Argentina: In one of Gallardo's last matches as head coach of the first team, River barely advanced to the round of 16 by defeating Ciudad de Bolívar 1-0 thanks to a penalty goal from Colombian Juan Fernando Quintero. Their next rival will be Aldosivi from Mar del Plata. The last time the “Millionaire” won this competition was in 2019. Copa Sudamericana: This competition appears as a punishment for River due to its very poor results in 2025, which did not allow it to qualify for the Copa Libertadores through the annual table. The last time River played in the Copa Sudamericana was in 2015, when it reached the semi-finals and fell to Huracán. In any case, it appears as a good opportunity to end the seven-year drought without international titles.
