‘El Flaco’ Menotti’s plea to fill the Albiceleste first XI with players from the Primera seems far-fetched, but it is a popular notion back in Buenos Aires
Cesar Luis Menotti’s undoubted ability as a coach has only been matched during his extensive career by his ability to create debate and controversy whenever he grabs a microphone. However, in claiming that Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero – plus Angel Di Maria when fit – should be the only European players included in the Argentina team, the grizzled trainer may have surpassed himself in opening up a debate that goes to the heart of Criollo football.
«We have to put together in the next six months a team of 14, 16 players from here and leave five places for those outside Argentina. Because if we bring players from over there, they have to be better than those here,» the 1978 World Cup winner told Argentine media on Wednesday, stating that those who play in their home country understand much better the style of play and what is expected of them than a group of players drawn from across the European continent.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Menotti’s latest proposal would leave the squad looking remarkably similar to the one he led to victory on home soil. In that set of 22 players, and allegedly at the behest of the military dictatorship ruling the country at the time, only Valencia’s Mario Kempes played outside Argentina.
It is worth noting that, ever the populist, ‘El Flaco’s’ proposal is far from outrageous in his native land. Step into any taxi or cafe in Buenos Aires and turn the conversation towards the Seleccion, and you will be likely to hear a similar story.
The coverage of European football in Argentina bears no comparison with the depth given to the Primera Division. Every single game is available on public television, with kick-offs staggered to allow the discerning fan, if one chooses, to watch all 10 matches on a single weekend. Football from the ‘outside’, meanwhile, is confined to cable channels and watched far less than the domestic game; and reports from Europe usually revolve around Messi, ‘Pipita’, Aguero and the other marquee names.
Only seeing the majority of their national team when they appear in international colours allows several misconceptions to build up around those who ply their trade elsewhere.
‘Vendepatria’, literally a country-seller or sell-out, is a common insult thrown at those who play across the Atlantic Ocean, while another common consensus is that the pampered overseas stars do not have the commitment or hunger to represent Argentina to an adequate level. Leaving aside these cliches, however, could there be a genuine logic to basing Alejandro Sabella’s side on the stars of the Primera?
One advantage, as we saw a glimpse of on Tuesday, would be the understanding the players share from appearing alongside and against each other every week. The improved defensive performance in Argentina’s 2-1 victory over Colombia was based in no small measure on the cohesion and co-operation shown at the back, which has been sorely lacking. This effort included Federico Fernandez, Leandro Desabato, Clemente Rodriguez and defensive midfielder Rodrigo Brana; coincidentally enough, all former or current team-mates at Estudiantes, and, while far from brilliant players, honest workers who recreated the solidity of Sabella’s all-conquering Pincha side on the international stage.
Source: goal.com