CA River Plate are aiming high, and with good reason. Since Marcelo Gallardo returned to the dugout in August 2024, the team have shown clear signs of resurgence.
A host of club icons have returned, including Sebastian Driussi and German Pezzella. There has also been investment in standout individuals such as Maximiliano Meza and Colombian midfielder Kevin Castano.
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Add the emergence of prodigious young talent Franco Mastantuono to the mix and it is clear this is a special time for River. Gallardo’s side are once again hitting those soaring heights that make them look almost unbeatable, echoing his first spell as coach between 2014 and 2022, when he won titles across the board.
As one of the squad’s elder statesmen, Pezzella knows what is at stake at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, one of the club’s main targets this year. The defender, who made his River debut in 2011, went on to play for Real Betis and Fiorentina before being lured back from Europe by Gallardo himself.
“We believe we can beat anyone on our day,” he told FIFA. The first challenge for the centre-back and his team-mates as they seek to live up to this optimism is to advance from a group including Urawa Red Diamonds, FC Internazionale Milano and CF Monterrey.
River qualified for the tournament thanks to a strong CONMEBOL ranking and are through to the last 16 in this season’s Copa Libertadores. The team’s steady development this year has seen the Millonarios play on the front foot, in line with the coach’s possession-based brand of football.
A member of Lionel Scaloni ’s all-conquering Argentina squad, the 33-year-old Pezzella is relishing the chance to compete in the tournament in June and July and to experience the unrivalled passion of River supporters taking over the USA.
German Pezzella: I’m unbelievably excited. We have high expectations and can’t wait. It’s the first edition of the tournament, so we’re really looking forward to it.
I picture something similar to the last Copa America, at which fans packed out all the stadiums. There are people from all over the world in the United States, including lots of Argentinians and River fans, so I’m sure they’re just as excited about the tournament as we are. It’ll be a wonderful occasion.
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Facing Inter as a River player will be a brilliant experience. I came up against them during my time in Italy and my close friend Lautaro Martinez plays for them, so it’ll definitely be an incredible match and we’ll try to play to our strengths.
Our initial target is to get through the group and, as always at this club, we want to go as far as possible. Progressing from the group stage takes you into the knockouts, and we believe we can beat anyone on our day. Right now, we’re focused on continuing to build our identity and showcasing our strengths so that we can compete at our best.
It’s a special club because it’s more like a way of life. The fans wake up and go to bed thinking about River, and our results can shape their mood for days.It’s difficult to put it into words unless you come and experience what the club is all about and start feeling it for yourself.
Marcelo is such an intense coach. He lives and breathes football and has helped me immensely, starting when I was a youngster. During my first stint here, I was regularly in the team, and he’s always tried to add his personality, intensity and style to the tactical notions that he teaches us. We’ll always be grateful to him for that.
