🤝 Done deal: 'Chacho' Coudet set to become new River Plate ma… — and more

The River Plate world has finally found the man tasked with inheriting the coach’s jersey after the departure of Marcelo Gallardo.

Eduardo "Chacho" Coudet has reached a full agreement with the management led by Stefano Di Carlo to become the new head coach of the institution. After a week of intense negotiations and secrecy that kept fans on edge, the club’s former midfielder has accepted the challenge of returning to Núñez, this time to lead the football project from the bench.

The logistics for his arrival are already underway. Coudet, who had been working as the coach of Deportivo Alavés in the Spanish league, will leave the club. The coach is expected to land in Buenos Aires next Wednesday to sign a contract that will tie him to River. This decision marks the end of his stint in the Old Continent and his triumphant return to Argentine football, where he already made his mark with his intense and attacking style.

The mission ahead is not easy, as he will have to manage the post-Gallardo transition during a period of institutional change. The bet by Di Carlo and manager Enzo Francescoli on Coudet aims to inject energy and character into a squad that has shown inconsistencies in the Torneo Apertura. "Chacho" arrives with the backing of his previous success at Racing Club and Rosario Central, but above all with the advantage of knowing every corner of the Monumental, a key factor in easing the pressure that comes with the job.

As a player, Coudet left an indelible mark in the memory of River Plate members, winning five domestic titles and earning the fans’ affection with his charisma and commitment. That sense of belonging has been fundamental in bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion, even surpassing other alternatives considered by the Technical Secretariat. His profile fits the club’s historic tradition: teams that take the initiative, press high, and seek to be protagonists on any field—qualities that fans demand without compromise.

The official debut of the new era is scheduled for next March 12, when River visits Huracán for the tenth round of the tournament, once the scheduled break in local football has passed. In the meantime, Marcelo Escudero will continue as interim coach for this Monday’s match. Expectations are sky-high; Núñez is preparing to welcome back a familiar face who promises to restore to the team that spark and rebelliousness that define his personality, with the goal of returning River to the top of the continent.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter scored all 16 of his points in the second half as Clemson snapped a four-game losing streak with an 80-76 victory over No. 24 Louisville on Saturday.

The Tigers, once comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field with 10 wins in their first 11 Atlantic Coast Conference games, had raised questions the past two weeks with their late-season slide. But Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC) held off the Cardinals (20-9, 9-7) with defense and Porter's timely baskets.

Up 55-49, Porter drove through the right side of Louisville's defense for a basket off the glass. Moments later, Nick Davidson stole the ball from Adrian Wooley, fed a perfect pass to a wide-open Porter who hit a 3-pointer for a double-digit lead.

The Tigers led by 15 with 1:08 to play when Louisville used a 17-6 run for the final score.

Porter, a senior transfer from Middle Tennessee State, had not scored in double figures in 10 games and, with zero points and two fouls in the first 20 minutes on Saturday, did not appear on pace to break that streak. But Porter made two early shots in the second half before his critical stretch put away the Cardinals.

Clemson's defense locked down on Louisville leading scorer Mikel Brown Jr., who finished with five points on 2-of-10 shooting. Wooley had 17 points to lead the Cardinals, who have lost three of their past four.

Louisville broke out early for an 11-7 lead on 3-pointers by Ryan Conwell and J’Vonne Hadley and a three-point play by Brown. But the Tigers followed with a 12-4 surge to take the lead and went to the half up 38-35.

Up next

Louisville: host Syracuse on Tuesday.

Clemson: at North Carolina on Tuesday.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Collin Chandler scored a career-high 23 points to lead Kentucky to a 91-77 win over No. 25 Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Otega Oweh also had 23 points for Kentucky (19-10, 10-6 Southeastern Conference), which split the regular-season series after losing to the Commodores 80-55 on Jan. 27 in Nashville. The Wildcats notched their second straight victory after dropping three straight to Florida, Georgia and Auburn earlier this month.

Tyler Tanner led the Commodores (22-9, 9-7) with 19 points, followed by Jalen Washington with 16. Tyler Nickel had 13, AK Okereke scored 12 and Duke Miles had 11.

Chandler tied a career high with six 3-pointers and Kentucky which finished with 11 in the game. He had five of the Wildcats' seven in the first half for 15 points.

Chandler connected on back-to-back 3s and scored six of the first eight points for the Wildcats. Kentucky used a 7-0 run to build a double-digit lead, which it maintained throughout the game.

Kentucky led 46-31 at the break and increased the margin to 89-67 with 3:05 remaining.

Denzel Aberdeen had 15 points for Kentucky, making three 3-pointers. The Wildcats managed just 3s in the first meeting.

Kentucky, which had committed 56 turnovers in the previous four games, had just 11, including three in the opening half.

Up next

Vanderbilt: At Mississippi on Tuesday night.

Kentucky: At Texas A&M on Tuesday night.

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This seems like a logical move for the Cards.