Boca Juniors is not enjoying a strong football moment, so the club decided to part ways with coach Ibarra.
The era of Hugo Ibarra has come to an end. At the season’s start, the team failed to display its best football, and results did not meet expectations. Last season’s trophies provided little cushion against a tougher run of matches.
Although Boca’s leadership has not officially begun a search for a replacement, rumors suggest the club might not pursue a former Boca player. The aim is to shift momentum, bringing in someone with real experience on the bench to stabilize the team’s dynamics.
That is why, inside GOAL, the focus turns to potential Xeneize options.
GARDI MARTINO
Getty
There has been no formal contact yet, but Martino appears to be the coach who has Boca’s attention. The plan was to wait until Ibarra steps down, yet Martino could be the figure Boca is seeking: a decisive turn in direction. He is far from the former Boca coaches who dominated the past decade and closer to a strategist with a long, proven track record in football.
Martino’s recent period includes an exit after the group-stage elimination with Qatar 2022. He previously led Atlanta United to MLS glory and has stacked up more than twenty years of coaching experience with eight titles on his resume.
MARIANO HERRÓN
With Negro’s departure, Mauricio Serna clarified that the interim plan would be to have the reserves step in for Primera, with a view to a longer-term appointment. The objective is to bring in a new head coach as soon as possible.
Herrón arrives from teams that won back-to-back reserve championships and already enjoys a strong relationship with Juan Román Riquelme. In the past, he assisted Miguel Ángel Russo and Sebastián Battaglia at Boca, contributing to the 2019 Argentine Super League title, the 2019-2020 Argentine Cup, and both the 2020 and 2022 Professional League Cups.
JOSE PEKERMAN
If talks with Martino do not yield a result, Pekerman remains a seasoned alternative. At 73 years old, he remains active, having recently stepped away from the Venezuelan national team for personal reasons.
At club level, Pekerman has not coached since May 2009, when he spent ten games with Tigres. He later enjoyed success in Colombia and a brief stint in Venezuela. Interestingly, in Argentina he has not trained in the top division, having only worked with the youth teams of Chacarita and Argentinos between 1981 and 1992.
DIEGO MARTÍNEZ
Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images
Martínez has not been in the country for nearly a decade, but he remains a club favorite. Until 2015, he coached Boca’s youth teams and helped develop players who are now in or close to the first team, including Equi Fernández, Agustín Sández, Valentín Barco, Vicente Taborda, Gabriel Vega, Marcelo Weigandt, and Aaron Molinas.
As a coach, he has navigated all levels of Argentine football. His work at Tigre helped him rise and reach the 2022 League Cup Final and secure a spot in the Copa Sudamericana. He built a distinct style and identity and played a pivotal role in developing many young talents, with Mateo Retegui standing out as a memorable example.