Cristian Lema, a 35-year-old former defender, announced his retirement after a year without playing. In an interview with the Argentine News Agency, he stated: 'I had six months left on my contract, and there was no point in staying.' Lema revealed that he had requested to leave last June but received no response. 'Nobody spoke to me, nobody told me anything,' he admitted. He also highlighted the attitude of then Boca coach Miguel Ángel Russo, who was on his side and said he would let him go. However, Lema was only informed on the last day of the transfer window that he could leave Boca if he found another club. 'No matter how much a club wants a player, it has a time limit to wait for him,' Lema emphasized. He also criticized the Football Council, claiming it operated in a way it believed was beneficial to the club. 'The vast majority of players went through the same,' he concluded. Previously, Lema had played for several Argentine teams and for Benfica in Portugal, with whom he won two titles. Due to scandals involving the Football Council, Boca president Juan Román Riquelme dissolved the structure in August 2025.
