He Monumental will be complete on Sunday at the official opening of the year. There will be 83,196 fans of River summoned by the party once morest Argentines, preceded by a very special ceremony, linked to the World Cup fever of these days and the series of recognitions that followed the title obtained in Qatar on Sunday, December 18.
The River leadership established a thread between the past and the present. It is the only Argentine club with a current world champion: Frank Armani. And he will take the opportunity to surround the goalkeeper with the other champions of 1978 and 1986: Ubaldo Fillol, Daniel Passarella (the only one who was part of the two teams, although he did not play in Mexico due to illness), Oscar Ortiz, Leopoldo Luque (deceased, would be represented by his daughter), Norberto Alonso, Nery Pumpido, Oscar Ruggeri and Hector Enrique. The invitation was extended to all. Pumpido would not attend because of his duties at Conmebol.
Among all those names, there is one that raises a lot susceptibility and controversy. Easy to guess: that of Kaiser Passarella, probably the best defender in the history of River and also of Argentine soccer. Also an innovative technical director at the time, with a pressing, aggressive style of play, unusual in football in our country at the beginning of the 90s. In fact, his first cycle as technical director at the millionaire, with three local titles, was the springboard to reach the Argentine national team in 1994.
But his work as a player and coach was overlapped by his presidency, between 2009 and 2013, with the relegation in 2011 to Nacional B, in what was the worst sports page in the club’s history. Since then, and beyond the promotion achieved the following year, Much of the world River canceled Passarella. He does not want to know anything regarding him and even past merits were buried. The Kaiser has not stepped foot on the Monumental since at the end of 2013 handed over command to Rodolfo D’Onofrio, winner in the elections. Since then, a life away from what used to be his house.
Is the invitation of the leaders reckless? How will the Monumental react? What will Passarella’s response to the invitation be? For some answers we will have to wait until Sunday. Regarding the uncertainty regarding his presence, a source very close to the Kaiser, in daily contact with him, assured this newspaper that on Sunday he will go to the Monumental. “He told me that he doesn’t give a damn what the polls and social media say. He doesn’t give them a ball. He wants to, he’s going to go, recognition is important to him. He still has not communicated it to the leaders of River. It is a decision typically passarelliana, He doesn’t mind going once morest the windmills,” the same source confided. Asked if she heard him for sure or if she might change her decision between now and Sunday, she replied: “I noticed it convinced, today (Wednesday) it goes.”
In the River leadership, until the followingnoon of this Wednesday, they did not have any confirmation. Many were skeptical regarding its presence. And there are not a few who believe that his absence will save a moment in which the environment will be cut with a knife. Adding the Kaiser to the ceremony was not an easy decision or one with a broad consensus among the club’s authorities. The waters were divided into the troops of President Jorge Brito. In the current board of directors there are members of the management of Rodolfo D’Onofriowhat sued Passarella for fraudulent administration and organization of violent groups with barras bravas.
The tense relationship between D’Onofrio and Passarella stems from the time when the Kaiser won the 2009 presidential election by just six difference votes. D’Onofrio always suspected the transparency of those elections.
On May 25, 2021, the last year of D’Onofrio’s eight management days, River celebrated 120 years of its foundation with a video in which Passarella has a fleeting, very secondary appearance. D’Onofrio had been critical of the Kaiser in statements to TyC Sports: “He was my idol. He was the best 6 I saw in world football. Unfortunately, as a leader he did things wrong and that’s how it went. We did an audit and we found the club worse than we thought, those who had left had to explain some things. That’s why He and three other leaders were initiated into a cause. With this I do not want to say that Passarella is guilty. He’s just going to have to explain what we found.”
Passarella, in an interview with La Tercera de Chile, avoided going to the clash: “I saw the video they made. I don’t know, I didn’t give it much importance… I think so, maybe I should have been, but I don’t know.” Sunday’s It will not be the Kaiser’s first public appearance in acts of entertainment to former world champions. Last weekend he was at the Eva Perón stadium, from Sarmiento de Junin, his first club, before arriving at River. Dressed in the No. 3 jersey that he wore during the promotion with El Verde, he lifted the World Cup before the match once morest Barracas Central. “He was driving in his car to Junín. He was happy, ”added the source, whereupon he returned to deny rumors regarding an advanced neurodegenerative disease, that would reduce autonomy for their public life.
Last August, Passarrella was in Italy, invited by Fiorentina and Inter, his two teams in Italy in the player stage. He is happy when he returns to football settings. He Donkey Duck encouraged him to be at the Monumental on Sunday: “Passarella was the best defender in the history of Argentine soccer. It is logical that he is invited to recognize River. He will decide what to do.” The Kaiser decided. He will submit to the popular verdict: whether the sentence of the former president continues or he is amnestied in memory of what he was as a two-time world champion soccer player.
