Juan Sebastian VERON: “Some journalists don’t help”

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Juan Sebastian VERON spoke about Marcelo BIELSA, Lionel MESSI, Mauro ICARDI and the Argentina National Team.

Former Argentina international Juan Sebastian VERON commented about Marcelo BIELSA’s influence on his generation. In an interview with AS, he also spoke about the current generation of players, the situation involving Mauro ICARDI and more. Here’s what he had to say:

Is BIELSA’s influence important on your generation?
“Yes. But it’s also true that most of us like POCHETTINO, BERIZO, SIMEONE had a lot of experience with great teams, strong clubs with proper management and great coaches. Every one of us chose our path. El Cholo (SIMEONE) will move vases to explain tactics. Me, I’ve always been interested in marketing and managing clubs. Today, ZANETTI works with Inter and FIFA. Hopefully one day we can all reuinite and contribute our knowledge to Argentine football.”

Are you afraid that Argentina with MESSI don’t qualify for the World Cup?
“Yes, it’s a delicate situation. This generation has less and less time to get a championship. And Argentine football isn’t taking advantage of this generation the way we should. We’re not taking advantage of MESSI, AGUERO, DYBALA and HIGUAIN. We can’t rely on a genius, we have to create something to support the genius. And today, that support doesn’t exist.”

What do you think of ICARDI’s situation?
“I have my thoughts. I know what happened. But it’s a sporting question and you have to analyze it. If he’s doing well at Inter and he’s in good form, I don’t see why they don’t call him up.”

Do you talk with MESSI?
“Yes. It’s sporadic but we still talk. He’s doing really well with Barcelona. He has team mates who are finishers like NEYMAR and SUAREZ, who significantly support a MESSI who’s a playmaker. Leo’s grown a lot, I see him participating more. But after the frustration and suspension, I haven’t called him. Same thing when he retired but it makes me happy that Leo is still wearing the Argentina National Team shirt.”

Why is MESSI not understood in Argentina?
“For his exit. Here, people are in their armchairs criticizing him. And unfortunately, some journalists don’t help. I think that fortunately, there are who, who although are late, have understood the magnitude of having a player like him with the National Team. They’ll always have it against him for not having played in Argentina.”

Do you think one day people will miss MESSI’s National Team?
“This generation is just missing the last step. They’ve reached three finals… It’s cost them to get there. I played three World Cup’s. It’s very difficult.”

44 Comments

  1. Fede Cartabia this time with assist against Porto. The same Alan Ruiz for Sporting. Both are marking every his game recently with goals or assists. Ruiz has 6 goals and 3 assists.

    • Total useless footballer just like Ocampos, some goals, and without assists or key passes, plus always dumb decision makings. Vitolo or even Sarabia are much better wingers and still not class players.Centurion from Boca the same too. Christian Pavon at least effective but with very limited skill set, Gonzalo Martinez a talented player with a lot of skills, but very irreguler.

      • Joaquin Correa should play AM,CM as it was in Estudiantes, but I think he would have best as box-to-box midfielder with his conditions. Wrong decision from Sampaoli to make him forward. He could have type of Pastore. And still may be. Needs time. Wait for his 28-29. Remember cases of many players growing late like Papu Gomez, Piatti, Perotti, Otamendi and many more.

        • But to be like Pastore needs surrounding class players. Pastore was growing and learn a lot along Ibrahimović and others.

          • But Pastore always had a fantastic vision just when he was young a lot of the times his legs couldnt do what his very quick and creative mind thinks. Pastore’s tragedy is his weak and injury prone body, he try to be a modern hard-working player, but still very soft for the highest stages. A Matuidi with 5-10% of Pastore’s talent with very bad technique is more useful in that system than him, that’s modern football. Ocampos and Correa on the other hand are very good phisically, even not bad dribblers, but lack speed to terrorize defences, still lack decision makings, and lack creativity and vision to break any defence, so imo they wouldn’t never be NT-materials. Cartabia and Gonzalo Martinez are much complete players, just Cartabia always was an asshole, who thinks much more about himself than his archievement. Pastore have to transfer a Milan-caliber team to play regularly.

          • “but lack speed to terrorize defences”.

            I disagree here. Correa is not fast as Ronaldo but enough fast. Still more faster than Pastore. Look here:
            (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WQlisuDgVE)
            (and this is not his full run)
            or here
            (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVETV_YDMqk)

            decision making is largely dependent on age. He has a time to improve in this point.
            As for creativity Pastore is much better but Correa may give more runs in Enzo style if only will play as CM.
            I never regard him as player simile to Ocampos. After what I saw in his early years in Estudiantes I think he has the potentiall to be excellent central midfielder on NT level. But midfielder. Not forward. We should wait few years.

          • “but lack speed to terrorize defences”.

            I disagree here. Correa is not fast as Ronaldo but enough fast. Still more faster than Pastore. Look here:
            (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WQlisuDgVE)
            (and this is not his full run)

            decision making is largely dependent on age. He has a time to improve in this point.
            As for creativity Pastore is much better but Correa may give more runs in Enzo style if only will play as CM.
            I never regard him as player simile to Ocampos. After what I saw in his early years in Estudiantes I think he has the potentiall to be excellent central midfielder on NT level. But midfielder. Not forward. We should wait few years.

          • I dont see Correa as a ZM, he’s a winger-type player who depend on speed, Pastore no need to be faster, rather more physical. Javier a great counter-attacking playmaker, feels those situations very good like Özil.

          • I know. There are/were players that never fast but with fluency and beautifull of movement they were unsurpassed. And so efficient at the same time. Zidane, Iniesta. And Pastore (but as far not on the highest level of Champions League and NT)

          • I agree. This is problem with many of our players. Sometimes best fullbacks or central midfielders had played originally much more high.

  2. a start in the right direction
    “Claudio Tapia has confirmed Juan Sebastián Verón will be Argentina’s youth football coordinator”

    • Not necessarily…
      I would be very wary of anything coming from the Bilardist side, especially handling the youth.
      The other point is Veron has to take care of Estudiants as its president, he wants to play at the same time for them at 41y old and finally he wants to take care of AFA’s youth? This smells BS imo…

  3. Argentina U-20 beat 2:1 Uruguay in friendly after 2 goals of Torres.

    Martinez has 5 goals in this season. I wish it was true what you’ve said but I’m still sceptic. Martinez is for me kind of Aguero but I think less talented. Maybe we need forwards more active without ball. He may convince me on World Cup. Let see what happens.

    But generally I’m still dissapointed after exclusion so many Primera players on that Ubeda preliminary list.
    Cejas of Estudiantes – was best player of the team in last Copa Libertadores game. Cascini of Estudiantes scored week ago. While we have Lucas Rodriguez who was weak on Sudamericano and the same in club recently.

    Central midfield? Who is partner for Ascacibar. None of Belmonte, Chicco, Mierez (he has played once as CM) they were rather poor. The only right player here was Pereyra. But he is out of list.

    This time I’m pessimist.

    At least Julian Foyth is on the list while he was best player of Estudiantes yesterday against Newells Old Boys.

      • Quarta is still 20 but unfortunately category ’96. River category ’96 is really good. Mammana, Martinez Quarta, Driussi, Batalla, Andrade, Boye…

        • Centerbacks like Alexander Barboza, Martinez Quarta, Mammana, Foyth, Cristian Romero, Pezzella, Conti, Figal, Franco and more makes me optimist as regards to our CB future.

          • It’s good thing we have all these promising centerbacks. Remember the times before Sabella? It wasn’t always like this.

            What about fullbacks situation is not as good. On the right better (Gomez, Peruzzi and few really interesting other players in Primera). On the left only Tagliafico, Angileri (Godoy Cruz, scored yesterday), Sosa (Tigre), Escobar (Talleres). I don’t wat to talking about their talent. Everyone for himself should watch and estimate.

    • Just saw both Argie goals against Uruguay, they are brilliant goals. Did Sarri take over the team? 😀

      At least some movements off the ball… Let’s hope they will be able to replicate that in the WC.

  4. Lautaro Martinez just scored 2 goals for racing last night. He’s definitely getting better by the day. I reiterate again that we have a pretty intimidating attack in the world u20 cup in May with Martinez and ponce( hopefully) in attack.

    Best part is that both are endowed with good physicalities which would not allow the African or European defenders to bully. Have you guys seen ponce? There are much similarities in terms of physicality between him and the old Ronaldo.

    • Martinez and ponce are both CFs so only one would play. But like u say we have enough quality to be formidable if we can have decent coaches at all levels.
      Btw, Veron has been appointed as the youth football coordinator.

      • Yah but ubeda hinted that they both could start as their skills are not limited to finishing only.

        Veron’s appt is just so encouraging for our youth system. I’m sure he would revolutionize the system with his years of European experience.

  5. apparently…
    “FIFA will reduce Messi’s ban to just 2 games if he attends an appeal hearing they’ve set for him on the 4th of May.
    Having already sat out on game of the suspension, that means he’d have just one more suspended game to sit out”

  6. btw I like what the commentator says in johns tweet re icardis goal
    “the movement from icardi inside in the box”
    and that is exactly what we have ben missing for so many years from hig, kun, and others, we so static upfront.

  7. Di maria bagged both the goals in psg’s win last night. He’s becoming a key player for them this season. Im pretty sure he would play well provided a good coach is at the helm for argentina. I wont lose hope since he works really hard in whichever team he plays for

    • vimaldass,

      so many of understanding between us two but this time you know my thought are far from your’s. I don’t think any coach may cure him of mentality of loser (after all this lost finals) that makes him along with Higuain, Aguero and so on rather threat for us I think.

      Another think is injury susceptible. Di Maria is not able to play for 101% in most important games like semifinal or final. His muscles can’t bear this burden.

      I heard the things few times: Di Maria impressive for his club, we have new coach and new hopes Di Maria will be quite new player.But he is still the same no matter it’s Batista, Sabella, Martino or Bauza. I remeber his horrible game against Switzerland on WC. Just horrible. Tones of losted balls. But he scored that goal and people forget about the losts and how iritating he was. That was the same Di Maria no matter we had really good coach then. We should use in his position another player who is also crucial for his club like Dybala, Gomez or Piatti. Dybala, Gomez are best players of Serie A. Di Maria just had his chances. Too many chances. We have too many impressive players on this position to look at Di Maria only still.

      • gonzalo: agreed as di maria has had so many chances to impress since 2014 w.c ended and his problem is he simply does not have a footballing brain and no manager can change that, his injury’s are also a big problem as you have stated.
        finally playing in a millionaires team surrounded by some world class players in the 4th (some would say 5th) best lge in Europe is not exactly a ringing endorsement to d/ms so called new found form.

      • Don’t get me wrong gonzalo. I have mutual thoughts with you as well regarding his overall gameplay and the frustration that he has caused us over the past couple of years. However he has certain attributes that gives him the leverage above the rests which would keep him in the national team for a couple more years i’m sure. The aforementioned attributes are his blistering pace, undying stamina( the guy must have 3 lungs atleast) and his never say die attitude. On his day, his dribbling skills and pace coupled with his trickery could unbalance any opponent’s defence.
        I’m not saying that it’s a must to start him but instead he should atleast be parked at the bench and be brought in when the opponents are starting to tire. I would still love to see players like piatti and acuna be given the chance to start and prove themselves but di maria shouldn’t just be dumped as he might be very useful in sampaoli’s system of play( a coach who demands his players to pressure even in the opponent’s half )

        Whatever it is, let’s just wait for our new coach to be officially announced soon. I’ve been anxiously waiting for this news throughout the week just like some of you’ll out there .

  8. Jorge Sampaoli: “Meeting with the AFA? No, not at all. I wouldn’t meet anyone, not even my brother, before a game. It’s playing with my name.
    If you’re asking if I said yes to the AFA – that is not true. I can’t talk about something that isn’t real.
    I was coach of Barcelona, Holland, Arsenal…it’s playing with my name. I can’t go out and clarify every time my name is used.”

  9. common some ass fuckers messi haters… only who knows football they will never cretisize messi .. even your hero knows messi is genious like aimer riquleme tevez veron zennetti.. simmone sampoli … but you will never understand messi… some journalist makes a news against him… still continuing in argentina… i feel very sorry for him… he will play alongside icardi… or anyone… that is coach decision… it will happen then i will msg here… some idiots no hate only love where he is gone he defends bauza….. now a days he changed name or went anywhere… half of the people in argentina dont support him… if you dont support him at his best then dont support at his best… i will i hope he will bring argentina either wc or copa america…. good coach is needed who knows some tactics and plan b.. i will support him whether he will won the wc or not… he is a genius… football is a team sport… if argentina dont win anything it is not his fault that team dont deserve a trophy… try to understand messi haters… i will respect still some people supporting messi… i have my respect on them..

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