A phone call raised the temperature on the red side of Avellaneda. In Independiente they are on fire and not because of the summer heat that officially began last Saturday. The Diablo leaders cried out when they learned of direct contact between the Boca Football Council and the player’s entourage. Felipe Loyolaone of the figures of Julio Vaccari’s team and man of the Chilean national team.
It is a new chapter in a history of quarrels that has been going on for many years now. Since the time of the pandemic, Independiente has been pointing out to the riverside team that it is setting its eyes on red players and wanting to take them away.. This time, they understand from Avellaneda, they crossed a limit since they accuse that someone from the leadership chaired by Juan Román Riquelme called the Chilean representative without first consulting or notifying the red priests.
“We have a rumor that Boca called the Loyola representative“said Daniel Seoane, general secretary of Independiente, in an interview with La Red radio. “It would be a total lack of ethics. On Friday we were face to face at AFA and they did not express any interest in the player. This new call was today (on Sunday). The logic is that they always talk to the club,” he said angrily and opened fire directly towards La Boca, where for the moment they choose not to go out and answer.
After Boca has entered phase 2 of next year’s Copa Libertadores, both the Football Council and Fernando Gago know that they have no time to waste, since the first series will be at the end of January. In addition, Boca will play the Club World Cup in the middle of the year, so it needs to give its squad a leap in quality.
It was already reinforced with Carlos Palacios, the Chilean playmaker who played for Colo-Colo and became two-time champion of the local tournament and who, like Loyola, also plays for his national team. This weekend, Raúl Cascini, Marcelo Delgado and Chicho Serna, members of the Council led by Riquelme (he is abroad), accelerated with several calls to different players’ agents targeted by Gago, including Fernando Felicevich, the man’s representative. of Independent.
The blue and gold coach really likes Loyolawho arrived at the King of Cups in the middle of this year after the leadership chaired by Néstor Grindetti bought half of the pass from Huachipato for 1.8 million dollars. He quickly became a key player for Vaccari.
undisputed holder, plays as an inside midfielder on the right, although he has also played as a full-back in that sector, a position in which he shone for the Chilean club last season and which earned him a call-up to the national team. This versatility makes him a coveted footballer in the market, in addition to his young age: 23 years old.
During his stay at Independiente up to this point, he played 20 games, scored two goals and provided two assists. He has good reading of the game and, in addition to giving a hand in the mark, he also distributes. A timer who understands when to accelerate, when to change sides and when to stay in his position.
From the Avellaneda institution they are trilling as they maintain that the Xeneize acted unfairly by not letting them know of the interest in joining it under the orders of Gago starting in January. They still have the thorn in their side from something similar that happened with Sergio Barreto. “Barreto was pressured to go,” Seoane recalled, referring to a situation similar to what occurs with Loyola. Finally, the defender who was looking for a transfer was sold to Pachuca of Mexico.
The director of Independiente, who is the most active in the Board of Directors in the pass book, fired: “I don’t think a president would call a player from a rival with a contract”. In Avellaneda they say that it was not Riquelme who picked up the phone but they are sure that it was someone from the Football Council. Whoever he was, he caused a lot of anger.
From now on, Seoane sent a message to Boca: “We do not want to sell Loyola and (Kevin) Lomónaco immediately, they are players that we want to face an important Cup that we have next year and the championship. We intend for them to stay. Logically, if a very important offer arrives from abroad it will be analyzed, but not in local football.”
In turn, the leader announced that at this time he will hold a face-to-face meeting with his peers from Huachipato, who are in the country. The conclave had already been scheduled a few days ago. In that talk, Independiente will try to advance in the purchase of another percentage of Loyola’s pass and, at the same time, negotiate for another player that Vaccari is interested in: Walter Mazzantti. The winger belongs equally to Huracán and the trans-Andean club.
As it is, Boca seems to have remained a poll. Or will he maintain his interest in Loyola after Red’s public outcry? We will have to see if this story of calls and fights continues or this is its end.