Colombian Juan Fernando Quintero, author of the goal that unbalanced the final of the Copa Libertadores 2018 won by Boca in Madrid, confirmed this Friday the open secret that was his return to River, which he hopes to join “in the next few hours”.
From the concentration of the Colombian National Team in the United States, the left-handed midfielder confided that in the following days “everything must be closed” to finalize his return to Núñez.
“In the next few hours I will be with River, which is my next club, in the next few days everything should be closed. It is a team that competes at all times, that’s why I made the decision to return,” he said at a press conference.
Juanfer, 28, recently achieved freedom of action with the Chinese Shenzhen due to non-payment by the club that is going through an economic crisis. Quintero had left for Shenzhen at the beginning of 2021 in exchange for 9 million dollars for River, who had bought him two years earlier from Porto, from Portugal, for 4 million after a season on loan.
Quintero joined his country’s national team at the beginning of the week to play an international friendly against Honduras in the state of Florida this Sunday, and then plans to fly to Argentina to join River’s preseason, where the emblematic number 10 shirt is already reserved.
The Colombian entered millionaire history with the conquest of 2 to 1 partial in the 2018 final against Boca (3 to 1 final). In his previous stint at Núñez (2018-2020), He played 61 games -only 26 as a starter-, scored 12 goals and won four titles: the Super Cup and the Libertadores in 2018 plus the Recopa Sudamericana and the Copa Argentina in 2019.
Quintero’s return to River they had verbally agreed at the end of December but it remained to know how the hiring would be because then the disengagement with the Chinese team had not been sealed.
Quintero and River
- “I had the opportunity to spend two and a half years at River and compete at a high level. One always wants to be in the National Team, but I must respect River’s moment which is my new club.
- “We show the level on the field, it has little to do with the league where it is played. River is a team that competes at all times and that’s why I made the decision to return.”
Quintero and Chinese football
- “I had the opportunity to grow a lot in China. The foreigners who play there have many responsibilities. I gained a lot of experience.”
- “I finished my season on January 4 and on the 10th I concentrated with the National Team. Recovery times are very short, so it’s time to bend the effort. The Chinese league is very demanding.”
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