Leo Astrada Returns As River Plate Manager

By: Christian | October 8th, 2009

River Plate announced yesterday that former player and coach Leonardo Astrada will succeed Néstor Gorosito as club manager. This will be the second stint in charge for El Negro, who first led the team between 2004-2005, a spell that included winning the 2004 Clausura.

Astrada has already begun making changes to a defense that has allowed 12 goals in 7 league games. Against Independiente this coming Monday, Nico Sánchez will replace a suspended Gustavo Cabral, and leftback Cristian Villagra, who lost his place under Gorosito, will be coming in for Lucas Orban. There is also hope that Ariel Ortega may soon be back in action after suffering a recent hamstring injury.

So is Astrada the right man for the job? He is River’s most decorated player of all time so he knows a thing or two about success. In his first stint as manager he led the club to a league title and a semifinal run in the Copa Libertadores. But he only lasted a year before being fired, and subsequent appointments at Rosario Central, Colón, and Estudiantes were short and unremarkable. At 39 is still a young manager, and it remains unknown if he has the experience to deal with the club’s ongoing crisis.

But at yesterday’s press conference, Astrada appeared to say all the right things. He reiterated the importance of earning a spot in the 2010 Copa Libertadores, saying that it would be unthinkable for River not to participate after qualifying for the last 15 consecutive years. He acknowledged the seriousness of a potential relegation battle but put the focus on the future.

It was a refreshing change from the previous manager. Of Gorosito’s numerous flaws, the one that was most troubling was his lack of vision. One never really knew what Pipo was planning with the club, whether it was improving them in the league or pushing them in the Copas. He approached each game with an almost casual indifference, as if he could not see beyond the 90 minutes of a game. Astrada seems determined to get the club gets back on track by laying out a future where success can once again seem like a possibility rather than a far-fetched illusion.

Results ultimately speak louder than words, but for now I like how Astrada is changing the attitude around the club. Without promising too much, he has started the long overdue process of restoring pride to our River. I wish Astrada the best of luck; for the first time this season, I look forward to our next game.