Fernando Gayoso has died at 55
Boca Juniors is in mourning tonight. Fernando Gayoso, the club's former goalkeeping coach and the man widely credited with Boca's almost supernatural penalty shootout success, has passed away at 55 (2).
Gayoso was a behind-the-scenes giant at the club for years. If you've celebrated a Boca penalty win in the last decade and a half, his fingerprints were all over it.
Zeballos and Giménez to start against Católica
Thursday night is everything. Boca host Universidad Católica at La Bombonera in the final group-stage match of the Copa Libertadores, and it's effectively a knockout final: win or you're out (1).
The attacking duo tasked with delivering that win will be Exequiel Zeballos and Milton Giménez, named as the starting forward pairing (1).
Adding a layer of tension, Colombian referee Wilmar Roldán has been appointed to officiate. Boca fans know exactly what that name means.
Fan-reaktioner
The news of Gayoso's passing hit the Boca subreddit hard, with multiple tribute threads appearing within hours. The mood is somber but defiant, with one fan bluntly demanding the team channel this grief into a Copa Libertadores run. There's also practical chatter about Thursday's match, with reminders that additional general-admission tickets go on sale today at 4pm with no purchase restrictions. Join the discussion