River Plate’s recent struggles reached a new low on Saturday with a stunning 4-1 defeat to Tigre, piling pressure on manager Marcelo Gallardo. The loss casts doubt on the team’s ability to find consistency, despite earlier promising signs this year.
Gallardo is facing increasing scrutiny as he attempts to replicate the success of his first tenure with the club, which began in June 2014 and ended in November 2022. He returned to River Plate on August 5, 2024, but has yet to secure a trophy to solidify his position. The defeat to Tigre represents a significant setback for the team and the manager.
Unlike his first successful period – which saw seven international titles and numerous domestic honors – Gallardo appears to be struggling with key decisions. This is evident in player recruitment, tactical approaches, team selection, and in-game substitutions, areas where he previously excelled. The team’s performance has been inconsistent, failing to build on positive momentum.
Gallardo’s second stint began with a 1-1 draw against Huracán on August 10, 2024, with Claudio Echeverri scoring for River and Rodrigo Echeverría equalizing for the opposition. Gallardo deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Felipe Peña and Rodrigo Aliendro in midfield, and a front three of Pablo Solari, Franco Mastantuono, and Echeverri supporting Adam Bareiro. This lineup was chosen with an eye toward a Copa Libertadores match against Talleres de Córdoba on Wednesday, August 14, which River won 1-0 thanks to a header from Paulo Díaz, utilizing a 4-3-2-1 setup with Matías Kranevitter anchoring the midfield alongside Santiago Simón and Aliendro, and the debuts of Fabricio Bustos and Germán Pezzella in defense.
Following the departure of Martín Demichelis, River experienced a resurgence, winning three consecutive matches and briefly appearing to be on track. This led to a flurry of activity in the transfer market, with Gallardo overturning many of Demichelis’s signings. Demichelis had brought in Jeremías Ledesma, Adam Bareiro, Federico Gattoni, Franco Carboni, and Felipe Peña Biafore on July 19, 2024, but Gallardo quickly moved to add Germán Pezzella, Fabricio Bustos, Maximiliano Meza, and Marcos Acuña.
Still, this momentum proved short-lived. After eliminating Colo Colo 2-1 on aggregate, River suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Atlético Mineiro in Belo Horizonte, exposing tactical shortcomings in Gallardo’s 3-4-1-2 formation – previously successful against Boca. The return leg ended in a goalless draw, ending River’s hopes in the competition. This loss highlighted a concerning pattern of inconsistency for Gallardo’s side.
Despite their Copa Libertadores exit, River managed three consecutive league wins, with Gallardo settling on a 4-3-1-2 formation and consistent team selections. This raised expectations, but a 2-1 loss to Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza dashed those hopes. Although the season was effectively over, Gallardo maintained a positive outlook, stating he had joined “a train already in motion.”
The start of 2025 saw further reinforcements arrive, including Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Sebastián Driussi, Enzo Pérez, Gonzalo Tapia, Matías Rojas, and, most notably, Kevin Castaño for a club-record €12.8 million from Krasnodar. Club president Jorge Brito was determined to deliver a Libertadores title in his final year.
Gallardo took a more hands-on approach, even appearing in photos with new signings, a responsibility previously handled by club officials. Leonardo Ponzio’s influence waned, with a shift towards youth development, while Enzo Francescoli’s role as technical secretary was reduced. Mariano Barnao assumed greater responsibility for player negotiations, with Gallardo’s approval.
Despite the influx of talent, Gallardo struggled to establish a cohesive and consistent team. The side often underperformed, relying on a long unbeaten run punctuated by numerous draws – including a penalty shootout defeat to Talleres for the Supercopa Internacional in Asunción. A brief period of improvement in April and May, fueled by goals from Driussi and Mastantuono, offered a glimmer of hope, but a loss to Platense on penalties halted that progress.
River’s hopes in the Club World Cup were also dashed in the group stage. Injuries to Driussi and Mastantuono, coupled with suspensions to Pérez and Castaño, contributed to a defeat against Inter Milan. It was the second loss in regulation time for Gallardo’s River. Undeterred, Gallardo continued to experiment with his lineups. He brought in Santiago Lencina and pursued Maximiliano Salas, ultimately paying a €9 million release clause to secure his services, though some questioned the value of the signing.
Gallardo also released veteran players like Manuel Lanzini, Simón, Kranevitter, and Aliendro. Despite penalty shootout wins against Libertad and Unión providing a boost, Palmeiras proved too strong in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, winning both legs of the series and triggering a downward spiral that included nine defeats in twelve matches, a Copa Argentina semifinal loss to Independiente Rivadavia, and a defeat to Central in Rosario.
Despite growing speculation about his future, Gallardo was backed by newly elected president Stefano Di Carlo, who renewed his contract for another year on November 1st. The club secured the signings of Aníbal Moreno, Fausto Vera, Matías Viña, and Kendry Páez, while also releasing club legends Enzo Pérez, Ignacio Fernández, Milton Casco, and Gonzalo Martínez, acknowledging their contributions but prioritizing a new direction.
A promising start to 2026 raised hopes of a title challenge, but the 4-1 defeat to Tigre underscored River’s struggles at the Monumental, where they have now lost five of their last six matches.
“You get hit, that’s it. You get up,” Gallardo said after the match. Recognizing the impact of the defeat on fan confidence, with supporters voicing their frustration, the club’s most successful manager needs to demonstrate his ability to turn things around. Otherwise, despite his legendary status, his future at the club could be in jeopardy.
