What happened to ex-Man Utd defender Marcos Rojo who is set to leave latest club under storm

Marcos Rojo is being described as one of the biggest mistakes in Boca Juniors’ recent history after joining the club from Manchester United.

While Rojo’s footballing talent is not in question—after all, he played for United and the Argentina national team—his selection as a role model and captain for Boca has been widely criticized.

At United fans loved his fighting spirit but he would also take it too far with poorly timed tackles and sendings off.

And it has been a similar story in Argentina where it is argued that Rojo’s off-field behavior and lack of professionalism made him a poor example for the squad.

Incidents include breaking the Covid quarantine to play cards with friends, organizing informal matches in the mud during the season (and bringing teammates along) and living with frequent injuries due to excesses.

He has also failed to control his temper in high-pressure matches (such as red cards against River Plate and in the Copa Libertadores semifinals), skipped training to attend parties, arrived at training in poor condition, and been featured in photos and videos with alcohol or cigarettes.

In a very critical piece in TYC Sport it claims that, contrary to Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s mantra that a Boca player must be professional 24 hours a day, Rojo rarely managed even a few minutes of that standard.

Statistically, Rojo’s impact has also been disappointing. Since joining Boca in February 2021, the club has played 254 matches, but Rojo featured in only 118 of them (46%), and if measured by minutes played, just 39%.

He completed the full 90 minutes in only 75 games—less than a third of his appearances. His only consistent run came under manager Fernando Gago, when he managed to play ten consecutive matches after losing weight.

Rojo’s departure is now set to happen following the Club World Cup which is attributed to a combination of his lack of professionalism and a final clash with coach Miguel Ángel Russo, after which he failed to show up for training.

There are also reports of an irreparable falling out with the club president Juan Roman Riquelme, who is now expected to terminate Rojo’s contract early.

Rojo reportedly criticized the club’s leadership in front of teammates, particularly regarding Club World Cup bonuses, accusing the board of always keeping everything for themselves.

The Argentine media outlet concluded that Boca would be better off without Rojo, labeling him a negative leader who contributed little on the field—apart from nine goals and some penalty shootout success—and even less off it.

It is claimed that Rojo was never the captain Boca needed, that the club, shirt, and history were too big for him, and that future Boca leaders should remember Rojo as an example of what not to emulate