Lanzini on leaving River: Gallardo decided, I had to accept it | OneFootball

Manuel Lanzini spoke about his recent departure from River, which led to his arrival at Vélez, and stated: "The truth is, I didn't expect what happened. I thought I would finish my contract with the club, but Marcelo Gallardo had to make decisions, and I had to accept it."

"Obviously, I would have loved for my last stint at the institution to have been different," revealed the 32-year-old midfielder in a conversation with ESPN. The truth is that since his return to Núñez in mid-2023, between injuries and poor performances, it was very difficult for him to secure a place on the team. In his second cycle, he played 59 matches, but he is not remembered for great performances with the Red Band, except for his goal in the 1-0 win against Boca at La Bombonera with an alternative team in 2024.

After the Club World Cup, a competition in which he only played minutes in the elimination against Inter, the "Muñeco" decided to exclude him from the squad, as he would no longer be considered for football reasons.

The player made a sort of assessment of his last stage with the Millonario and concluded that he does not regret returning. "I came back to River at the right time. It was when I was free and at a good age. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't, but I don't regret it. It's the club that formed me, and I returned when I had to," he reflected.

Finally, the former West Ham player ended up agreeing to join the Fortín until December 2026, a club with which he will play in the Copa Libertadores (they will face Racing in the quarterfinals). After signing his release, the player left a heartfelt farewell message to the Millonario fans through his social media.

Lanzini emerged from the youth ranks of the Núñez team and made his official debut with the Red Band on August 8, 2010, in a 1-0 victory against Tigre. In August 2014, he was sold to Al Jazira Abu Dhabi, then moved to West Ham, and returned to the club where he was born in 2023. In total, he played 150 matches, scored 15 goals (3 against Boca), provided 17 assists, and won four titles with the Millonario jersey.

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