Former River Plate boss Daniel Passarella reveals how he changed Gonzalo Higuain from a number 10 to a number nine.

The Argentine also discussed his time as Coach of both Higuain and Falcao, who played together at River for a short time in 2005. The pair will meet again this evening when Juventus travel to Monaco in the Champions League semi-final first leg.

Former River Plate boss Daniel Passarella reveals how he changed Gonzalo Higuain from a number 10 to a number nine.

The Argentine also discussed his time as Coach of both Higuain and Falcao, who played together at River for a short time in 2005. The pair will meet again this evening when Juventus travel to Monaco in the Champions League semi-final first leg.

"It was a pleasure to train them, although they were only together for a short time," Passarella told Gazzetta dello Sport. "In my head and in my heart remains a brace from Gonzalo at Boca, with a back-heel goal that no one will forget.

"Eventually in his place Falcao came in. In some matches they played well together, but in a sense they were at odds."

What are the former Fiorentina defender's first memories of Higuain?

"It was a retreat at Mar de la Plata. I had whole first team with me and for two to three days as well the second team, those who played for the reserves.

"I watched with great curiosity to try to identify the most talented. I was with Alejandro Sabella, my assistant who then would go on to lead Argentina out in World Cup 2014.

"Together we watched a practice match organised between senior players and the young ones, and at half-time I said immediately that I liked the boy wearing number 10. He was the son of Pipa, (Jorge Higuain) my team-mate at River when I came back to play in Argentina after my years at Fiorentina and Inter.

"He had that intuition. ‘Why not put him in the first team as a number 9?' I said. I did so and Higuain scored two: since that time he has always been a centre-forward. Because of his characteristics of being a born striker with an incredible flair for goal.

"Maybe he doesn’t need to move much or to keep the ball, but it is as if he was programmed to score goals."

What does Passarella remember about Falcao at River?

"I had a good relationship with him and when I arrived he was already firmly in the first team.

"Maybe he’s more physical and less of a goalscorer, although he participates more in the build-up. I did not doubt him or Gonzalo for one second: I knew that they would play in Europe as protagonists in order to triumph."

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