Costas Stirs Up River Clash and Admits Frustration With Racing’s League Struggles

According to Olé, Racing manager Gustavo Costas used the international break to reflect on his team’s struggles in the domestic league and to preview decisive weeks ahead. While the Clausura campaign weighs heavily on him, with three straight defeats leaving the club near the bottom, the focus is shifting to high-stakes knockout games: the Libertadores quarterfinal against Vélez and the Copa Argentina clash with River Plate.

The River matchup comes with added spice due to forward Maximiliano Salas, who left Racing for River by triggering his release clause after the Club World Cup. “That game has the extra drama, doesn’t it? Let’s hope Salas doesn’t play the way he did with us, that he makes plenty of mistakes,” Costas joked, recalling that he was the one who had first brought the striker to Racing after managing him at Palestino.

Despite the history, Costas underlined the magnitude of the task ahead. “These matches aren’t to be played, they’re to be won. We’ll face a great rival that has practically a new squad. We know what’s at stake. It’s a trophy Racing has never won, and hopefully we can give our fans that joy,” he said.

The clash does not yet have an official venue or date, but it is expected to take place in early October, after Racing’s Libertadores tie with Vélez and River’s showdown with Palmeiras.

Turning back to the Clausura, Costas admitted the frustration of poor results. “What hurts most is that we can’t find a way to win. In the last two matches, the way we lost was what hurt me most. Sometimes, after achieving something important, just a few days later the team looks completely different,” he reflected.

Finally, he addressed the controversy over substituting goalkeeper Gabriel Arias late in the second leg against Peñarol, replaced by Facundo Cambeses in anticipation of a penalty shootout that never came after Racing scored a last-minute winner. “I would never have done that back then. I apologized to Gabi. It was something we had resolved with the staff. Maybe I was wrong, but it was a thought-out decision,” Costas admitted.