Enzo Fernández on winning mentality, lifting team mates, Lionel Scaloni, Emiliano Martínez

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Enzo Fernández spoke about his winning mentality, lifting up his team mates, Lionel Scaloni and Emiliano Martínez.

Fernández gave an interview which we have translated where he spoke about Lionel Messi and how he found out that he was going to be at the World Cup with the Argentina national team. In the same interview with Diario Ole, Enzo spoke about his relationship with the coach Lionel Scaloni and what Scaloni told him. Here is what he had to say:

“I never really had the chance to speak with him face to face but I did have talks with the whole coaching staff and he was present. He always reassured us and told us to be prepared because we could all play.”

On if he never spoke with Scaloni alone even when he was named as a starter:

(Enzo smiles)

“No, never, hehe. I found out that I was going to be a starter during the technical talk. Many times, the day before a match, he would put together a team but we never knew if it was the one that was going to play. We would find out in the pre-match talk.”

If that would take off some of the pressure for a player:

“In my case, it was something normal. Maybe because I was used to it because at River, Marcelo (Gallardo) would do the same.”

What happened when he found out he was starting against Poland:

“Uff. Anxiety, nervousness, everything… If that doesn’t happen to you, it’s that you are not truly a football player, hehe. The first thing that happened when I saw my name there was I was anxious to go out and play. It’s very beautiful the hours before a match.

“I prepared my entire life to play football and I took it as something natural. Playing a World Cup is part of football and I try to enjoy it because if you don’t, it’s much more difficult. I was thinking that when I would have the chance, I would enjoy it to the maximum.”

On if he was always someone confident:

“Yes, since I always enjoyed playing football since I was a kid. I live the moment, I try to do my best but that it’s natural. No pressure or something like that.”

If he enjoyed every moment of the World Cup, even when France drew level in the final:

“If I tell you the truth, you won’t believe me but yes. The truth is yes. It’s more, I was confident that we would become champions that I started lifting up my team mates. I saw Nico (Otamendi) who was maybe a little down because he gave the foul for the penalty and I told him:

“Nico, that’s it. It’s now. We are playing now. They tied us, it doesn’t matter. We are going to win it. It’s about enjoying the present and besides, I was always confident that we were going to be champions.”

About how Dibu (Emiliano Martínez) told him to kick his penalty down the middle against the Netherlands but he didn’t listen:

(Enzo smiles)

“The day before we had been practicing and I always kicked it to the left, where I missed, but I had hit them all. I wasn’t going to change if I hit them all. And he got angry because I didn’t listen to him, hehe. Dibu’s a good guy. We get along very well and he has a beautiful madness to him, hehe.”

If Dibu is unbearable as an opponent or as a team mate:

“Both, he is unbearable every day. He’s crazy, an idiot/fool (boludo). But if you have him against you, it’s worse, hehe. For me, what he does is something natural. But maybe in Europe or other parts of the world, they don’t like it.”

5 Comments

  1. Balerdi was a regular under Igor Tudor last season and was generally a reliable performer, barring the occasional lapse in concentration. Having been targeted by Ajax this past winter, he has now had proposals from both the Premier League and La Liga.

    Both Marcelino and the club’s upper management, though, there would be no point in letting go of a senior international – unless a particularly high offer comes in – given he is familiar with the club and is able to play in a back four, the system the Spanish coach intends to implement. Although other areas in the squad will undoubtedly need reinforcing, the club appear to be confident that the Balerdi-Chancel Mbemba can once again deliver this season.

    GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin

    Another player to keep eye on , balerdi is the fastest of all Argentine defenders plus he so good on his ball playing ability too.

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