The candy box punches, movements; It has life. He is a constant powerhouse of emotion in every game he plays. mouth. For example, when fans ask for an “egg” to be put on them, or when they dance “at the top of their lungs”; when he sings the classic “Waltz” or “y dale, y dale y dale Boca, dale.” But there was rarely a “No!” As thunderous as this Sunday when the fourth referee raised the illuminated sign with the number 7, which the Zeballos monkey.
The change that coach Claudio Úbeda made when there were more than 20 minutes left in the semi-final duel of the Clausura tournament against Racing is inexplicable. It has no logic. The perfect self-boycott.
Because Until minutes before the game, no one questioned the continuity of the Sifón with the Boca DT diver for the beginning of 2026 is now more doubtful than ever. It is worth clarifying that Úbeda, who has no shared past with Boca beyond what he is currently writing about, took office after the death of Miguel Ángel Russo. He led the team to this semi-final with great cunning, having arranged the playing pieces: the bidet in the bathroom, the fridge in the kitchen and a dynamic 4-4-2 with Palacios and Zeballos on the outside. Because that was his idea too.
And Changuito, led by Úbeda, flew against River and won the position. He was the most unbalanced player against Racing. With his dribbling he was the only one who worried the visitors’ defense in the first half. And when second gear started, he shifted to the left so they could take his number.
And if a Boca player had to be given a chip, it was for Zeballos. Because Milton Giménez didn’t play well and Miguel Merentiel is far from his best level. El Changuito is – or rather was, because Boca’s season was over – the best attacking player the team has.
That’s why the fans held their heads high as they showed the sign with his number and he left the field with a clear gesture of anger. He didn’t even want to look at Úbeda when he arrived on the bench, he quickly took off his jersey and muttered insults while surrendering to the coach’s decision, which is ultimately his role. “These are decisions,” Russo would say.
Paredes, running in the middle of the field, also opened his arms and looked at the bench for an explanation. Of course there isn’t one.
ATTENTION TO THE GESTURE OF THE WALLS WITH THE CHANGE OF CHANGO ZEBALLOS!! The world champion, who has a mouth, didn’t like it at all!! pic.twitter.com/RQIaIcaEJx
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) December 8, 2025
After the game, Úbeda gave a very vague explanation about his decision that did not satisfy anyone: “What we saw is that he was tired, that’s why we made the decision to take him out. In the three previous games that he also left, he was very tired.”
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