Wednesday will be a key day in 2008 for San Lorenzo de Almagro. On Tuesday, the club’s championship-winning manager Ramón Díaz met with president Rafael Savino to discuss the situation between manager and club following fallings-out between Díaz and some key members of his squad recently. The decision on whether El Pelado, who returned to Argentina in January 2007 and led San Lorenzo to last year’s Torneo Clausura championship, stays or goes will be announced at 1pm on Wednesday.
The manager has already been informed that the playing contract of his eldest son, Emiliano, won’t be renewed. That’s potentially significant, because it’s Emiliano’s place in the first-team squad that’s caused the present friction between boss and squad. Without saying a word against him as a person, several senior members of the side – among them striker Bernardo Romeo and goalkeeper Agustín Orión, both of whom, normally first choices, were dropped from the squad for Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Colón – have voiced the opinion that Díaz junior simply isn’t good enough for the San Lorenzo first team.
After San Lorenzo dumped River Plate out of the Copa Libertadores a few weeks ago, it seems Ramón insisted on dividing the win bonus not between the 18 players who’d featured in the tie, but between the 25 who make up the registered first-team squad; a number which includes his son Emiliano. At the weekend, without Romeo, Orión or a number of other key players – captain Adrián González included – San Lorenzo won to keep in touch with River and Estudiantes at the top of the table with three matches left. Following Tuesday’s meeting, though, the future of the manager is still unknown. Many a dynasty has brought itself down from the inside. Could Ramón’s attempt to build one of his own prove his downfall this time? All will be revealed on Wednesday lunchtime…
Hasta El Gol Siempre 