Juan Jose Lopez, who served as River Plate's interim coach after Angel Cappa resigned last month, was named the club's new coach Tuesday.
Lopez said in a radio interview that he had been given the job and told of his promotion by club president Daniel Passarella.
Lopez, the club's director of youth clubs, filled in for Cappa and managed to pull River out of relegation danger. He won four of six games in charge as River finished the Apertura season with 31 points. He was a surprise choice with many reports suggesting Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella would get the job. Estudiantes won the season title on Sunday.
Lopez is the third coach named to the job in 14 months, following Cappa and Leonardo Astrada.
"I'm the coach of River," Lopez told radio La Red. "Passarella told me the club directors approved me to stay on the job."
In addition to Sabella, Passarella also approached Marcelo Bielsa about taking over one of Argentina's most popular clubs. Bielsa, who stepped down last month as Chile's national coach, turned down the approach.
