They say betrayal often comes from your closest friends. And if not, just ask Martín Palermo, who, after forging a close relationship with Guillermo Barros Schelotto during their time as teammates at Boca Juniors, where they played together in 77 matches, was dismissed as coach of Olimpia after the painful 4-0 defeat in the Copa Libertadores at the hands of Vélez and his close friend Schelotto.

On the field, friendship doesn't exist

During the build-up to the match, both Schelotto and Palermo expressed the great admiration they have for each other… though on the field, there is no friendship. “Before the draw, Guillermo sent me a message saying, ‘I hope we get Olimpia, I hope we get Olimpia.’ And two hours later, he sent me another message: ‘We got you guys, haha.’ It was part of that fun friendship banter we have,” Palermo confessed. Schelotto, for his part, pointed out, “Beyond our friendship, it’s a rival we want to beat just like any other. It’s simply a coincidence from our past as players. When it comes to playing, he will want to win and I will too.”

Schelotto warned about it before the match, and while he would have liked things to be different, Vélez crushed Olimpia at home, and as a result, Martín Palermo was dismissed by the board. “I want to apologize to the fans for this defeat. The best thing to do is reflect, I’m not going to make any decisions in haste. I will talk to the directors to see what is best,” Palermo said after the match.

The highs and lows of Palermo at Olimpia

Finally, after just over a year managing Olimpia, Martín Palermo leaves the bench at the Tigo Manuel Ferreira in Asunción after a bad run in which he went six games without a win… and a global win rate slightly above 45%. However, he can boast of having won his first title as a coach by winning the Torneo Clausura 2024.

“We need to do a thorough analysis; it’s something we’ll have to discuss with the directors and see what is best for Olimpia. It’s not my name as a coach, nor do I want to be someone who harms Olimpia, because there’s a history behind it, and there are still many things that the club needs to continue growing,” emphasized Martín Palermo, who will now have to embark on a new adventure after closing this chapter with Olimpia.