“Cuando tú ganas tres puntos o seis puntos no puedes cambiar el equipo, papá…”, declaró Teófilo Gutiérrez en una entrevista con el diario AS, encendiendo un cruce de declaraciones que dejó al delantero fuera de la convocatoria del Junior de Barranquilla para enfrentar a Águilas Doradas.

The decision by manager Sebastián Viera to leave Gutiérrez off the roster for the Friday, Oct. 23 fixture at Romelio Martínez stadium stems from that media exchange. While Gutiérrez did not mention names in his interview regarding tactical rotations after wins against Fortaleza and Medellín, the remarks were interpreted as a critique of the technical staff’s ongoing lineup changes.

Viera Defends Rotation Choices Ahead of Match

Addressing reporters during a training session on Wednesday, Oct. 21, a visibly uncomfortable Viera responded to the forward’s comments by noting he understood the interview had actually been conducted roughly 20 days prior. At the same time, the manager defended the necessity of his tactical adjustments due to injuries and physical load management.

“Contra Nacional tuvimos que hacer cambios que eran inevitables: el arquero sale con la nariz partida, Ángel y Celis teníamos que elegir a uno de los dos para dividir la carga de partidos,” Viera explained during the press conference, detailing further absences including Fydriszewski due to a muscular strain.

Reporting noted that although Viera had not yet officially released his squad list prior to publication, local journalistic reporting anticipated the omission of Gutiérrez, who was neither suspended nor injured and had trained actively through the week.

The Clash Between Club Icons During a Sporting Crisis

The standoff between the two prominent club figures highlights internal friction as Junior de Barranquilla manages a sporting crisis in the Liga Betplay-II. While local speculation tied the friction to the interview with journalist Steven Arce, the interviewer publicly clarified that he had no involvement with the current technical staff’s decisions.

Confronted with questions regarding player hierarchy and squad stability, Viera maintained a firm stance on authority within the organization, stating plainly that “nadie está por encima del club.”

Match Details for Águilas Doradas Fixture

Junior de Barranquilla enters the Week 16 fixture against Águilas Doradas scheduled for kickoff at 8:10 p.m. local time on Friday, Oct. 23, at Romelio Martínez stadium in Barranquilla, operating without Gutiérrez as the club looks to stabilize its league campaign.