Farewell of Marcelo Gallardo without the expected result

Marcelo Gallardo's farewell at the Monumental Stadium did not go as expected in terms of sports, as River Plate lost to Rosario Central (1-2) and was left with no options to fight for the title. In addition, the festive atmosphere turned tense at the end due to the expulsion of Juan Fernando Quintero, after a confrontation with referee Fernando Echenique.

It all happened at 112 minutes, in the compensatory time given by the referee, when the 'Millionaires', who were losing 1-2, claimed a penalty for a possible foul by Alan Marinelli against Enzo Pérez during a corner kick. The players were protesting and requesting a VAR review, but the referee considered that there was no foul.

In the midst of the commotion, 'Juanfer' approached Fernando Echenique from behind and received a blow to the face, although it was evident that the referee did not do it intentionally. However, Quintero was furious and decided to react with a push against the man in black, leaving everyone present astonished.

Immediately, the Argentine referee called Juan Fernando, took him away from the conflict zone, and expelled him. River Plate's midfielder did not accept the red card and confronted the referee again, this time with insults, but Elías Gómez quickly arrived to contain him and make him leave the field.

Finally, with his gaze fixed on the turf, Quintero headed to the dressing room of the Monumental Stadium and reflected his anger during his journey. Due to what happened, it is expected that the organization of the Professional League will announce a several-match suspension for the athlete.

It should be noted that with this new defeat, River Plate remained with 44 points and stays in fourth place in the Argentine championship, four units behind Boca Juniors, the leader, who is already unreachable. In the last round of the competition, the 'Millonarios' will visit Racing Club (2nd with 47 points), who is still fighting for the crown.