Boca Juniors goalkeeper Sergio Romero will miss the club’s next two games, the club announced in a communiqué on Monday night. The decision comes after an internal investigation found the goalkeeper at fault in a row with Xeneize fans following defeat at home in Saturday’s Superclásico against River Plate.

“Our Club should be a big family, made up of fans, players, employees and directors,” said the club. “We all owe each other mutual respect at all times and to be united for the good of the club.”

In a very tense game that saw Boca fans pressure the team with angry chants, the home team had a last-minute goal disallowed by referee Nicolás Ramirez because of a handball. After the full-time whistle went, Romero snapped at fans who were insulting the players, jumping over the fences to confront them, sparking a tussle in the stands.

In an interview with El Canal de Boca, the club’s official YouTube channel, he said that he regretted the episode. “Regrettably, I wasn’t able to control myself,” he said, claiming he was fuming at the referee at that moment. “I reacted in an ugly way, so I have apologized to the fans, the president and my teammates.”

Romero will miss the club’s next two games, away at Belgrano in Córdoba and at home versus Argentinos Juniors. After the defeat against River, the Xeneize sits 11th in the Primera División with 21 points, 12 behind leaders Vélez Sarsfield.

Boca added that it has identified the three fans that insulted Romero and will apply “corresponding measures” against them.

Who will replace Romero as Boca goalkeeper?

The top candidate to feature in the games against Belgrano and Argentinos is Leandro Brey. Hailing from Lomas de Zamora, he joined Boca from lower leagues side Los Andes as a 19-year-old for a reported US$450,000 in February 2022, making his debut just two months later, when he replaced then-starting goalkeeper Agustín Rossi in Boca’s Copa Libertadores clash against Bolivia’s Always Ready.

Since then, he’s gone international with Argentina, featuring in the U-23 Pre-Olympic tournament. He was also a sub to Gerónimo Rulli in the Olympics. 

Boca president Juan Román Riquelme spoke highly of him in a 2023 interview with sports outlet ESPN. “He’s going to be the owner of the Boca goalposts for many years, no doubt,” he said. “He shows the maturity of an older person, not that of a 20 year old. He’s a great goalkeeper.”

Since then, he has played for Boca in the 2024 Primera Division twice; first starting in Boca’s 3-2 win v. San Lorenzo and then as a sub when Romero was injured in the Xeneize’s 2-1 win against Rosario Central.