Francisco Ortega arrived, underwent medical examination, and will he play with River this weekend against Tigre?: "I'm available"
The left-back, despite travel fatigue, spoke to the press upon leaving the clinic. Next week, the Millonario travels to Colombia for the Copa Sudamericana, and Marcos Acuña is still injured.
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Francisco Ortega arrived, had his medical examination, and will he play with River this weekend against Tigre?: "I'm available"
- The left-back, despite travel fatigue, spoke to the press upon leaving the clinic. - Next week, River travels to Colombia for the Copa Sudamericana, and Marcos Acuña remains injured.
Francisco Ortega, during his time at Olympiacos. Photo: EFE/EPA/ANDY RAIN
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05/08/2026 17:12
Ver resumenTiempo de lectura: 28s
Inteligencia Artificial
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5 ago 2026
Francisco Ortega arrived, had his medical examination, and will he play with River this weekend against Tigre?: "I'm available"
SUMMARY 28s (Full read 166s)
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Francisco Ortega, in his time at Olympiacos. Photo: EFE/EPA/ANDY RAIN -
Photo Maxi Failla - CLARIN
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Other analyses (Experimental)
HIGHLIGHTS Quotes, testimonies and statements
Francisco Ortega: I'm available to play
Francisco Ortega: I'm very happy, very excited, and a bit tired from the trip. I spoke a little with Chacho (Coudet) and we'll finish talking when I'm at the training ground. I'm going to give my best to contribute as much as I can and leave everything on the field.
Thank you!
DATA Table with figures extracted from the original
Contract and transfer details
| Description | Value |
| Francisco Ortega's position as River's reinforcement | 8 |
| Year Ortega's contract with River ends | 2029 |
| Ortega's transfer price to River in euros | 5,000,000 |
Match and competition details
| Description | Value |
| Date of the Clausura Tournament where River will play against Tigre | 4 |
| Kick-off time (Argentine time) of River's match against Independiente Santa Fe de Bogotá | 21.30 |
Ortega's career details
| Description | Value |
| Francisco Ortega's age | 27 |
| Official matches played by Ortega in his career | 260 |
| Goals scored by Ortega in his career | 4 |
| Assists provided by Ortega in his career | 22 |
| Times Ortega was sent off in his career | 5 |
| Matches played by Ortega in Europe | 107 |
| Matches played by Ortega in the last edition of the Champions League | 10 |
| Ortega's height in meters | 1.77 |
Titles won by Ortega
| Description | Value |
| National titles won by Ortega in Greece | 3 |
| International title won by Ortega | 1 |
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FAQ Information as frequently asked questions
1. Who is Francisco Ortega?
Francisco Ortega is River's eighth reinforcement, a left-back with international experience.
2. What is Ortega's availability to play?
Ortega stated that he is available to play.
3. What is Marcos Acuña's situation?
Marcos Acuña is recovering from a muscle tear and might not be available for the next match.
4. What is Ortega's international experience?
Ortega played 107 matches in Europe, 10 of them in the last edition of the Champions League, with one goal and eight assists.
5. How many titles has Ortega won?
Ortega has won three national titles (the Superliga, Cup, and Supercup of Greece, in 2025) and one international title (the Conference League, in 2024).
6. In which national team competitions has Ortega participated?
Ortega was a sparring partner for the National Team during Jorge Sampaoli's era, was called up for the U20 South American Championship in 2019, and was part of the group that went to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
7. What is Ortega's height?
Ortega is 1.77 meters tall.
8. What was the price for Ortega's transfer to River?
Ortega arrived at River for 5 million euros for 100% of his transfer rights.
9. How many official matches has Ortega played in his career?
Ortega has played 260 official matches in his career.
10. What is Ortega's position on the field?
Ortega is a left-back.
Thank you!
GLOSSARY List of terms
Keywords
| Word | Meaning |
| Clausura | Argentine football tournament played in the first half of the year. |
| River | Argentine football club based in Buenos Aires. |
| Tigre | Argentine football team based in Victoria, Buenos Aires. |
Technical terms
| Word | Meaning |
| Left-back | Football player who occupies the defensive position on the left side of the field. |
| Man-marking | Defensive tactic in which a player is responsible for closely marking an opponent on the wing. |
Region-specific terms
| Word | Meaning |
| Núñez | Neighborhood in the city of Buenos Aires, where River Plate's Monumental stadium is located. |
| Santa Fe | Argentine province located in the central region of the country. |
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✕
Francisco Ortega , River's eighth reinforcement - the seventh to arrive from abroad - landed in the country, underwent his medical examination at the Rossi clinic in Belgrano, spoke to the media present there, and then signed his contract until December 2029 at the Monumental stadium offices.
"I'm available to play," said the left-back, who joined the squad led by Eduardo Coudet this Thursday. Since he has maintained match fitness and training, it's even possible he will be called up for Saturday's match against Tigre for the fourth round of the Clausura Tournament and, furthermore, be registered in the Copa Sudamericana squad to travel to Colombia, where the Núñez team will face Independiente Santa Fe from Bogotá on Wednesday at 9:30 PM (Argentine time) for the first leg of the round of 16.
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"I'M GOING TO GIVE MY BEST... I'M ALREADY AVAILABLE TO PLAY"
Francisco Ortega's words before his medical examination to join River.
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🗣️ "I'M GOING TO GIVE MY BEST... I'M ALREADY AVAILABLE TO PLAY"
⚪🔴 Francisco Ortega's words before his medical examination to join River. pic.twitter.com/h3B8rBPrQV
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) August 5, 2026
In that sense, Ortega's arrival is of vital importance for River at this moment, and not just for having an emblematic surname at the club. In his case, he won't be dishing out dazzling dribbles or dizzying turns like Burrito, but he will reinforce a sensitive position, as only Marcos Acuña is available and he is currently recovering from a muscle tear. The world champion would only be ready for the return leg of the Copa Libertadores against Independiente Santa Fe.
With Matías Viña among those excluded from the training ground in Cantilo, the other players who can play in that area of the pitch are not natural full-backs. These are Lautaro Rivero and Facundo González, who are originally central defenders. In fact, neither of them performed well as full-backs against Gimnasia and Rosario Central, respectively.
"I'm very happy, very excited, and a bit tired from the trip. I spoke a little with Chacho (Coudet) and we'll finish talking when I'm at the training ground. I'm going to give my best to contribute as much as I can and leave everything on the field," were Ortega's initial thoughts before putting pen to paper. His medical examination was delayed and started after noon, as River had to exchange the final documents with Olympiacos in the morning to finalize the transfer.
Photo Maxi Failla - CLARIN
Ortega joined River for 5 million euros for 100% of his transfer rights. And he joined the club of former Vélez players who landed in Núñez this transfer window, such as Nicolás Otamendi and Tobías Andrada, who has already trained with the squad and could debut on Saturday against Tigre.
At 27 years old (born on March 19, 1999, in Santa Rosa de Lima, Santa Fe), Ortega has played 260 official matches in his career, scored four goals, provided 22 assists, and was sent off five times.
Of those matches, 107 were in Europe, 10 of them in the last edition of the Champions League, with one goal and eight assists. He also collected three national titles (the Superliga, Cup, and Supercup of Greece, in 2025) and one international title (the Conference League, in 2024).
Ortega arrives to bring his international experience, offensive projection, and good aerial play, despite not being one of the tallest players in the squad, as he measures 1.77 meters.
A sparring partner for the national team during Jorge Sampaoli's era, he was called up for the U20 South American Championship in 2019 and two years later (2021) was part of the group that went to the Tokyo Olympics. Additionally, he was called up by Lionel Scaloni at the end of 2023 for the World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay.
Now, after his arrival at River, and with a name that is illustrious for the institution, Panchito Ortega will seek to make his mark on the left flank and earn his place in Coudet's consideration. To do so, he must first cover for Acuña and prove that he is ready to be his replacement when the world champion is unavailable, as is currently the case.
About the author
Maximiliano Benozzi
Sports section writer mbenozzi@clarin.com
Full bio
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