Marcelo Bielsa has turned down a chance to take over at River Plate, two days after the side fired Angel Cappa.
Club vice president Omar Solassi told TyC Sports that Bielsa would not make the move. Bielsa is Chile’s national team coach and, though he resigned last week after a disagreement with new Chilean association president Jorge Segovia, he told the club he would see out his contract with Chile. The contract expires on January 15, 2011.
Former River coach Americo Gallego turned down the club on Tuesday. River Plate youth coach Juan Jose Lopez is expected to be in charge for next week’s superclasico against Boca Juniors.
“We talked and he (Bielsa) appreciated that we thought of him,” Solassi said. “But he told us he was under contract with Chile and he could not do anything else but see out the deal.”
River are without a win in their last seven Apertura matches and are facing relegation next season. Relegation in Argentina is based on results over three seasons. River are one of only three clubs never to have been relegated. Boca and Independiente are the other two.
