Coach Gustavo Costas, fresh off leading Racing Club to their first-ever Copa Sudamericana title, admitted he needed time to process the monumental achievement. “I can't analyze anything right now. We had to win, no matter what, and we did it. We deserved it. And let’s face it—if we didn’t suffer, we wouldn’t be Racing. This team and our fans earned this,” said the 61-year-old manager.

Having spent nearly his entire playing career at Racing, Costas reflected on the unique spirit of the club, subtly contrasting it with the media-driven dominance of River Plate and Boca Juniors. He praised his team for rising above criticism and proving their resilience.

“We’re not ‘millionaires’ or ‘the majority,’ but we’re different from everyone else, and today we showed that in Paraguay. We’ve taken countless hits and endured disrespect, but we bounced back. After 36 years, we made it to a final—and won,” he said.

Looking ahead, Costas confirmed that Racing’s next goal is to chase the Liga Profesional title. With four matches left, Vélez Sarsfield leads with 44 points, Huracán is second with 42, and Racing sits in third with 40. “We’re definitely going to fight for the league title too. Not long ago, we weren’t contenders for anything, and now we’re going for the double. But first, we have to appreciate what we achieved today,” he emphasized.

Costas left Racing fans with a powerful message: “The Academy needs to get used to winning.” He added, “Now we need to rest, but the Racing supporters must savor this. In my two years here, I’ve never seen anything like the passion this squad has inspired,” concluded the coach.