Buenos Aires, Feb. 24 (NA) – River Plate is making strong progress and is reportedly close to finalizing the appointment of Eduardo 'Chacho' Coudet as the successor to Marcelo Gallardo, who announced he will step down after the match against Banfield next Thursday at the Monumental Stadium. According to information gathered by the Argentine News Agency (NA), the leadership of the 'Millionaire,' headed by Stefano Di Carlo, contacted Coudet's entourage, reached a verbal agreement, and the only remaining step is to formalize his departure from Deportivo Alavés in Spain. The urgency for the Núñez-based team to find a replacement for 'Muñeco' stems from the need to secure good results to climb the standings in the Torneo Apertura and start the Copa Libertadores strongly. The rapid negotiations took place between River's Board of Directors and Christian Bragarnik, Coudet's representative. Initially, this situation was not expected to be an issue, despite his contract with Alavés extending until mid-2026 and lacking a buyout clause. Gallardo, who announced his resignation last Monday, will say his farewell to River this Thursday when they host Banfield at the Monumental for the seventh round of the Torneo Apertura, starting at 7:30 PM. After brief talks, the parties agreed on the terms, and everything seems to be on track for 'Chacho' to continue his career at 'La Banda.' The final step in the negotiations would be to secure the coach's departure from the Spanish club.
