from a key player in the 2014 champion Racing to president, captain and scorer in the Concordia league

Gustavo Bou, that scorer who was one of the key pieces of Diego Cocca’s champion Racing in 2014, retired from professional football to play with Defensores Barrio Nebel, the club of his loves and the one he currently presides over in his native Concordia. And this Sunday he made his debut there, with the captain’s ribbon and a goal included…

At 25′ into the first half, when his team was already losing 2-0 against San Lorenzo de Villa Adela, Bou found himself with an ideal ball on the right side of the rival area. Without hesitation, He adjusted it, charged his right hand and took a strong shot that was impossible for the rival goalkeeper.

Unfortunately for him and his team, beyond the goal, the joy could not be complete because San Lorenzo ended up taking the victory 3-1. Despite the defeat, Bou was very excited about his debut and gave a few words to the official channel of the Concordian Football League after the match…

“A unique moment for me to be able to play with this shirt, which was the dream I had when I was very young, like many kids here in the neighborhood. I was lucky enough to fulfill the dream that perhaps many also have, of playing professional football. I did it for 16 years, and today being able to live this moment was very nice, very special for me,” said the Panther.

“As I told my colleagues, I never felt this way of being so tense, that my muscles hurt, of feeling strange things. I thought it wasn’t going to happen to me, but I understand. I work a lot on the head part. I have two psychologists: one personal and one sports. And they told me that these things could happen, because when it touches the soul, the heart, it is very difficult to control it,” the forward mentioned.

Finally, he made it clear that, because of the special nature of the match, the result was the least important: “It is the least important, obviously one always thinks about winning but this is football, “Football gives you revenge.”

After this match, Nebel was third in the Concordian League with 26 points, one point behind La Blanca and three behind the leader, Libertad.

After terminating his contract with Talleres at the end of July, it was learned that Gustavo Bou was going to leave, at 34 years old, to play for Defensores Barrio Nebel. And on Saturday night, Prior to his debut, he announced that he would no longer play professionally.

“Hello! I want to tell you something very very important to me. Perhaps it is the most important announcement of my sports career: I made the decision to leave professional football, but I also anticipate that I am returning to my roots. I’m going to play for Defensores Barrio Nebel. Here they taught me, educated me and trained me in what were my first experiences in football,” said Bou.

“Today I have to finish this beautiful journey as a professional player, but I am also very happy because I am going to live one of my greatest dreams. many years ago, “My great desire was to play one day in the First Division of this beautiful club and it is something that I see reflected in many boys who are taking their first steps,” added the Panther.

There he also left his gratitude to the institutions that hosted him while he was a professional footballer: “I also take the opportunity to thank everyone who accompanied me in these 16 years of my career as a professional, in clubs that I will always remember as River, Olimpo, Liga de Quito, Gimnasia de La Plata, Racing, Xolos, New England Revolution and Talleres.”

After the announcement of his retirement, many of his former teammates and friends sent him messages of love. “Congratulations, dear brother. It was a pleasure to have shared a dressing room with you. You know that I love you very much and we are going to see each other again, you will surely find us with a rod in hand. Success in what’s to come and, starting today, you have one more @cdbnoficial fan,” Iván Pillud, his former teammate in Racing, told him.

“How great, dear friend. A great person on and off the court. I am grateful for having met you and your family, you were a great help to me and I learned a lot in a short time. Enjoy this new stage of your life, continue fulfilling dreams and my best wishes always, friend!” He added, among others, Tomás Chancalay, with whom he shared in New England Revolution.

Bou, who was a figure in the 2014 champion Racing, had offers from other teams in the Professional League after terminating with Talleres, where he only played the first half of 2024. But he decided with his heart and returned to the club that trained him as a footballer. in his hometown (a wish that I had already expressed on several occasions) and who has presided since 2022.

In Talleres, it is worth remembering, he played 13 games, scored two goals and provided one assist. His best numbers were achieved in the New England Revolution, where he played 115 games, scored 51 goals, distributed 20 assists and won a title; and in Racing, of course, a club in which he added 110 duels, had 46 shouts, 22 assists and won two trophies: the local tournaments of 2014 and 2019.