“He’s driving them crazy!” — That’s the word coming out of Casa Amarilla. Fernando Gago, the brand-new head coach of Boca Juniors, has implemented a strict weight-control regime reminiscent of Argentine nutrition expert Dr. Alberto Cormillot. And with a roster full of stars like Edinson Cavani, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Frank Fabra, and more, the pressure is on.

Everybody is “a different world,” and it’s understood that each player pushes themselves to their personal limits based on fitness staff routines. But “Pintita” seems to trust the classic chart that “suggests” an ideal weight based on each player's height and age.

Some players are struggling more than others to meet the “ideal” weight and maintain it. Others, like Cavani, appear to handle it effortlessly — likely because they’ve always maintained a consistent physique.

Gago’s method for monitoring player weight

Drawing from his time at Real Madrid under Fabio Capello, Fernando Gago enforces a strict weight-control protocol. The system is simple but demanding: players are weighed regularly — sometimes daily — and must stay within a designated “ideal weight” range.

That number isn’t arbitrary. It’s determined collectively by the coaching staff, medical team, and nutritionists at the start of preseason, based on each player’s body type and physical demands. The margin of tolerance is slim.

If a player exceeds the range — as happened with Emiliano Vecchio and Edwin Cardona at Racing — they lose their spot in the squad until they return to the correct weight. Gago sums it up like this: “To perform at a high level in football, you have to be fit physically, mentally, and technically. If you’re not 100% in all three, it’s very hard to compete.”