Battaglia confirmed that he will support an opposition slate against Riquelme in the Boca elections: “There’s a rift”

As it navigates a turbulent present, Boca is already gearing up for the 2027 elections, and the slates are beginning to take shape. In this regard, one of the club’s greatest icons, Sebastián Battaglia, has spoken out, referring to a “divide” and a “divided club.” He stated that he will support an opposition ticket and highlighted his differences with the current president of the Xeneize. “Everything is tense, as we can see. There’s a rift that’s come between us, dividing the fans. We throw in each other’s faces who achieved this or who lost that, whereas in the past, at Boca, we just enjoyed ourselves. I’ve been lucky enough to experience a winning era. But we don’t want the fans to be like this; we want them to be united,” Battaglia said in an interview on TyC Sports. “Along these lines, he stated that during the upcoming elections at Xeneize, he will support Jorge Reale, a candidate who ran in 2023 but later withdrew due to the direct contest between Riquelme and Mauricio Macri—second on Andrés Ibarra’s list. “I analyzed it and thought about things that motivated me, like getting involved in Boca’s politics in 2027,” he emphasized, noting that the businessman’s proposals had motivated him. “Despite a bittersweet tenure in which the Buenos Aires club has yet to win a title, Riquelme feels the support of the fans, who have so far only chanted against the club’s idol on rare occasions.” In this context, and given that the former player’s ticket won in 2023 with 65.3% of the vote, Battaglia was asked if he believes the current president can be challenged, and he replied: “I think so, because we don’t like this division. It doesn’t make us happy. I experienced a different Boca. I’d like to see that, and that’s what we’re working toward.” Battaglia also spoke about his time as Boca’s coach during Riquelme’s tenure and the board’s handling of him, noting that there was no communication between them. “There was only one meeting with Román, which took place after we beat Tigre [in the 2022 League Cup final]. There, I laid out what I wanted for the future, and then it didn’t happen. Then came that infamous press conference where they came down hard on me. But hey, that’s reality. That’s how it went,” he said, noting that he noticed directives coming down from the Football Council: “It didn’t happen as much with him, but it did with the others. But I imagine they had more talks among themselves than with me.” He also spoke about the day when, after losing 1-0 to Gimnasia at La Bombonera, Riquelme got the Boca players off the bus, took them to the locker room, and spoke with them in Battaglia’s absence. Regarding this, the then-coach said: “It surprised me. I didn’t know he was there because I was finishing the press conference, and by the time I got there, they were already in the locker room. It hadn’t bothered me because I didn’t know how things had gone, but when I found out, it did.” They disrespected me in a place that’s also mine. I’ve been with Boca since I was 15, and I’ve won more titles than anyone else, whether people like it or not. No one can take that away from me. There were people who didn’t protect me. The worst part is that it wasn’t a bad talk, but a motivational one. But the timing wasn’t right.” “Among other points, the former player described himself as the best head coach of the Riquelme era at Boca, a period in which he won two titles, and argued that his team had ‘greater achievements and more points to be proud of.’” Meanwhile, he analyzed Boca’s current situation, as the team struggles to find its footing and has racked up a string of draws in the Apertura Tournament: “They have a good squad, but they have to prove it on the field, game by game, and make it count. The other day there was only one change [referring to the match against San Lorenzo]. If I trust what I have, I’m going to use it. Especially knowing that there are three competitions coming up. I should have starters and substitutes who compete head-to-head.”