The most successful coach in River Plate's history, Marcelo Gallardo, is the top candidate to succeed Martín Demichelis, who coached his last match at the Estadio Más Monumental.

The former Bayern Munich and Malaga player, among others, expressed his "eternal gratitude" and acknowledged the challenges he faced following the 'Muñeco', who may now replace him. "I had to go through the biggest and most difficult transition in this institution's history, not only because of who left but also because of the transition of a group of players who brought glory to this club," Demichelis said in his farewell to the press, proclaiming himself a "River fan," a club "so great that it's above any names."

The 'Muñeco,' who won 14 titles in his eight and a half years as River's coach, traveled to Buenos Aires, as shown by ESPN cameras, to meet with the club's directors and negotiate his possible return.

Gallardo was in Mendoza, where he watched the match between Independiente Rivadavia (where his son Nahuel plays) and Independiente, part of the Liga Profesional de Fútbol tournament, over the weekend. After leaving River, Gallardo only managed Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia with modest results.

Last Saturday, River Plate announced on social media that they had reached an agreement with Demichelis to terminate his contract, which was set to expire in December 2025, and that he would coach his final match at home against Sarmiento de Junín on Sunday.

In their post, the club thanked Demichelis "for his enormous professionalism, commitment, and respect" for the River jersey and for winning three titles: the Primera División league, the Trofeo de Campeones, and the Supercopa Argentina, all in 2023.

Demichelis joined River Plate in November 2022, replacing Gallardo in his first experience as a top-flight coach. He had coached Bayern Munich's B team from 2020 to 2023, and during his presentation as River's coach on November 16, 2022, he promised "continuity" in the club's work based on the "foundations" already in place, clearly referring to his predecessor, 'Muñeco' Gallardo.