River Plate face mounting crisis as fans demand change after Rosario Central defeat

River Plate supporters turned their anger on the players, manager Eduardo Coudet and the club’s board after a 1-0 defeat by Rosario Central at the Monumental in the third round of the 2026 Clausura.

The result has deepened concerns over the state of one of Argentina’s most prominent clubs, with the home crowd expressing its frustration throughout the match and delivering an unusually hostile response at the final whistle.

Tension was evident before kick-off. When the stadium announcer read out the River Plate team, several players were met with loud jeers from the stands. Coudet was also criticised, although the reaction towards the manager was initially less severe than that directed at some of his players.

The only goal came through an own goal by Nicolas Otamendi, who inadvertently put the ball into his own net. The mistake intensified the mood inside the stadium, with supporters responding by singing their familiar chant: “Come on River, come on…”

The singing soon gave way to sustained whistles at half-time as the crowd made clear its dissatisfaction with River Plate’s performance.

River had opportunities to equalise, but Rosario Central came close to extending their advantage when a dangerous counter-attack led by Giovanni Cantizano opened up the home defence. That moment further inflamed the supporters, and chants from all sides of the Monumental began to target the players and the club’s leadership.

The anger reached its peak with a unified call of: “They must all leave.” By the end of the game, the jeering had reached what was described as an unprecedented level.

In the stadium’s corridors and internal areas, a group of fans also sang: “Let us all call for Ramon’s return…” The chant referred to former River Plate manager Ramon Diaz, who is currently without a club after leaving Brazilian side Internacional last year.

Diaz has a long and successful history with River Plate, having managed the club in three separate spells between 1995 and 1999, from 2001 to 2002, and again between 2012 and 2014. During those periods, he won seven domestic honours and two continental trophies, including the Copa Libertadores in 1996.

The defeat was River Plate’s fifth consecutive loss in competitions organised by the Argentine Football Association. It is the club’s worst such run of the professional era.

That sequence began with defeat by Belgrano in the Apertura final and continued with a loss to local rivals Boca Juniors in the Superclasico.

Supporters’ dissatisfaction dates back to the end of last year, when the team failed to meet expectations despite Marcelo Gallardo still being in charge. The club dismissed its most successful manager at the start of 2026 and appointed Coudet as his replacement, but results have continued to decline even though River Plate reached the Apertura final.

The criticism has now spread beyond the coaching staff and squad to include the current board, which took office in November. Fans have blamed the leadership for the team’s decline and criticised “the high price paid for signings that failed to make the expected contribution”.

They have also accused the club of what they described as “the mistreatment of the rejects from the bin”.

This was the first time the new administration had faced such a volume of criticism and hostile chanting since taking control at River Plate. The scenes at the Monumental point to an expanding sporting and institutional crisis that could threaten the stability of one of Latin America’s most historic clubs.