“He’s 17”, “Brito” and “Diablito” They became a trend in the last few hours on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. It is the fault of the algorithms, but above all the work and grace of the thunderous “I’m not going to renew” that he let out more than once Claudio Echeverri in the middle of River’s celebrations in Santiago del Estero for the Champions Trophy. The joy for the Olympic return, the emotion for Enzo Pérez’s goodbye and even the captain’s decision or omission not to shake hands with Martín Demichelis and Javier Pinola when he was replaced by Jonatan Maidana took a backseat.
“Many things were discussed, my representative did not answer the calls, but they were in constant contact. I’m not going to renew the contract, but I’ll stay six months, one more year at River“said the player who turns 18 on January 2 and that his relationship with River ends on December 31, 2024.
The on-field journalist, incredulous, asked the question out of fear that the hubbub of the celebrations had distorted the statements of the Chaco native who on Friday night played his first game as a starter. But not. “I’m not going to renew”, the boy remarked. And the bomb not only detonated, but sent thousands of shrapnel flying through the air.
The River fans who were waiting for Enzo Pérez to lift the cup took their heads as their first reaction. They immediately insulted the air with El Diablito and his relatives as recipients. River leaders also felt the impact.
So much so that the president of the Núñez club, Jorge Brito, went out quickly to try to do damage control. He said that he had not read what the boy had stated, but that in the meantime, he had already spoken with Echeverri and his representative, Enzo Montepaone.
“I just greeted him, he was upset about what he had said, he said what he didn’t want to say. You have to understand that he is 17 years old, has enormous potential, a great player, very loved on the team, we are just getting to know him. We never had a problem with his representative, very good human and football relationship with him. There are 13 months left until the contract expires, surely we will have to define issues that have to do with that. He wants to succeed at River and play here next year, I’ll stick with that. “His representative will defend the player’s rights and we will defend the club’s rights, I trust him and his representative, it has to be something very good for him and very good for the club,” Brito said.
The leader’s words were not enough to calm the fire. Echeverri, like a good teenager, took his phone and made a post on his social networks. With a smile and with the cup in his hands, he predicted: “Two titles and many more with this shirt. Always River.”
His brief message was fertile ground for the haters, those who walk through the virtual world without documents and believe they have the power to insult and threaten anyone who thinks otherwise. Or not even that. Unnecessary no matter how you look at it.
Echeverri is 17 years old and not only has a long way to go and much more to learn. Sincerity, incredibly, is not a virtue in this world and even less so in the world of football.. He could have played nice and turned on the cassette. Throw the responsibility on his representative and the River leaders. But he said what he felt. Maybe what he knew and what he wanted. And little can be done against that.
You have to interpret the context. It must not be easy to be Echeverri. During his great performance at the U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, including a hat trick against Brazil, labels were placed on him that almost always become burdens. Comparisons of him with Maradona and Messi are hasty and for now exaggerated. And they confuse.
Echeverri is a boy who never had anything left over. And he must also understand with his family that His quick departure from River could be the economic passport to solve many of the problems he has and will have.. Maybe his growth needs more years in River. Maybe not. No one can put themselves in their place because no one knows what destiny has in store for them. And many times a bird in the hand is worth more…
Sincerity, as was said, is a bad word in football. Naivety has worse luck. It’s not even a bad word. It is a word that does not exist. Because here we are talking about money. The one who can win the Diablito and the one who can stop River from winning if it escapes you due to a termination clause that is lower than your expectations or, in the worst case, without leaving you a penny.
This is one of those situations where everyone has their reasons for being right. Except the haters, of course, and their vocation to hurt without measuring the cost or assuming the responsibility of saying atrocities that they would never say face to face. Echeverri is 17 years old. And whatever you do you don’t have to endure the cowardice of anonymous anger.
This story will obviously continue.