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Manchester City, Real Madrid, Ajax interested in Lucas Martinez Quarta

Roy Nemer
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25

Several clubs are interested in signing Lucas Martinez Quarta of River Plate.

Lucas Martinez Quarta has grabbed the attention of several of the top European clubs. Per a report by TyC Sports, Manchester City are the latest club to be linked to the 23 year old.

With club captain Vincent Kompany already out of Manchester, Pep Guardiola could be looking to give himself other options in central defense. However, per the report, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund are also keeping tabs on the Argentine.

Martinez has already played two matches for the senior Argentina national team. Both of them coming in September of last year.

Roberto Ayala: “Maradona was pure art, Messi is Speedy Gonzalez”

Roy Nemer
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23

Roberto Ayala spoke with Fox Sports and gave his opinion on both Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

Ayala played with both legendary players in the Argentina national team. Here’s what he had to say:

“They are different. Diego for me was art in its purest form in his movements. He (Messi) is a Speedy Gonzalez who never loses the ball. He has the ball at 2 cm from his foot. How do you do that?

“I played with both. With Diego, I was just starting off. They are two beasts. When he (Messi) retires, he will also be remembered. I don’t know if it’ll be like Diego, it doesn’t matter. But yeah, I do enjoy that I had them in the same shirt.

The former Valencia man is also on the current Argentina national team staff with Lionel Scaloni. Ayala commented on Messi’s importance to the current squad:

“For this generation, he (Messi) is very important. He doesn’t have to take care but to transmit what he lived through his Argentina national team career. Today, there’s no Masche who was helping him and they were a very good duo. There is Otamendi but the character is different. There’s a good group, there are good footballers, now you have to build a team.”

Roberto Abbondanzieri speaks about Lionel Messi, 2006 World Cup, 2004 Copa America, more

Roy Nemer
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2

Roberto Abbondanzieri spoke about Lionel Messi at the 2006 World Cup, his injury against Germany, Marcelo Bielsa and the 2004 Copa America.

The former Boca Juniors and Getafe man was the starting goalkeeper for Argentina at the 2004 Copa America and the 2006 World Cup. Speaking to TyC Sports, Abbodanzieri spoke about it all. Regarding Lionel Messi, here’s what he had to say:

“How could I forget. Yes, he’s the one that took the most shots in the training sessions. We would stay to work a bit more and Leo was always there. I have a good relationship with him even if it’s been a bit of time since we spoke. He’d invite me to all his events. I lost, yes. He shot them very well. He looked more Brazilian than Argentine. The Messi I saw in the training sessions in 2006 was like the one now but without the experience.”

Regarding his injury vs. Germany in the quarter finals of the 2006 World Cup and how there were rumors that he could have continued:

“It was some moment. I went out far. I could have played dumb and stayed close to goal. It was a kick from the right and there was an opening. It was a moment where I was perfect but that took me out of the World Cup. For that, it took me four months to recover.

“It bothers me but it’s there. What stayed with me the most were the faces in the locker room. Honestly, I don’t want there to be any doubts. I spoke with Grondona. I couldn’t anymore. The next day, I left with my family. I went to Getafe to play for fives months. The doubts appeared when they did some tests on me in the stadium and nothing came out of it, like any test that is done instantly.

“There are a thousand versions. I was at Arsenal with Julio and he asked me the same thing.”

About the 2004 Copa America, Abbondanzieri spoke about Brazil’s first goal which came off a free kick where they drew level:

“For the free kick, I put four in the wall because I was afraid that they would shoot to the right of the goal. And there was the goal but I didn’t say anything. It was a very significant goal because it’s not the same going into half time winning than it is drawing.

“After the 2006 World Cup, I was training with Getafe and I got a letter that Bielsa had left me. Very serious, he went as far as writing us letters. He congratulated me for going to Europe, for the World Cup and he told me:

“The truth is that there’s something I have been meaning to tell you for some time: I never understood why you put so many players in the wall.”

“Obviously, there were missing players to head it away. In the letter, he explained everything and I didn’t contest it.

Abbondanzieri has stated that he has watched the goal more as a coach than a goalkeeper:

“Everyone was being man marked, no one was left. A lot was said about the goal at the time but for me and obviously for Bielsa, the first goal was more important. And people perhaps don’t realize that.”

Geronimo Rulli of Montpellier: “I have a strange relationship with Argentina”

Roy Nemer
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11

Geronimo Rulli spoke with TyC Sports where he commented on his relationship with the Argentina national team and Estudiantes de la Plata.

Rulli, still only 27 years of age, has played a total of two matches for the Argentina national team. Speaking in an interview, the Montpellier goalkeeper stated that his dream is the Argentina team but that he has a strange relationship with it.

“It’s a strange relationship that I have with the Argentina national team. It’s my dream and what I always want, to play, to represent my country. What I know is that if I do things well, I’ll be there. At times, I’d say I’m among the best in the world, best statistics and I’m not called and it annoys me. But as I got older, I learned that it’s what I love the most but I’m not going to go crazy about it.”

Regarding his boyhood club Estudiantes de la Plata:

“It’s my family, the love and the great memory I left at the club. It’s everything. I started when I was 5 years old and where I did all of my preparation. I was barely a year into the top division, I enjoyed it. At la Real (Sociedad), I showed everything I did at Estudiantes and the preparation I had.”

Pablo Zabaleta comments on Argentina’s 3 finals, Lionel Messi, more

Roy Nemer
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6

Pablo Zabaleta gave an interview with Presion Alta where he spoke about Argentina taking part in three straight finals, the demands on Lionel Messi and the current Argentina national team.

Zabaleta was part of the Argentina team which made the 2014 World Cup final and it continues to weigh heavy on him. Speaking in the interview, here’s what he had to say:

“We put in a lot of effort and there was the frustration of not having won a title. And they would say Messi’s friends. Today, it’s impossible for a footballer to get away from it all. We don’t stop being humans who suffer. After losing three finals, everything weighs more on you and you have to live with it.

“We live in a demanding society. The fact that we played three finals in three years has to be highlighted.”

The former Manchester City man also commented on Lionel Messi’s contributions:

“It’s demanding on Leo (Messi) because he’s the best in the world but no one wins alone. Beyond just that he hasn’t won a senior title, he gave the chance to the AFA to make a lot of money for having the best player in the world.”

Regarding the current team:

“When Russia was over, for many it was the end of a cycle. Now there’s a rebuilding. I see that (Lionel) Scaloni has done well with the group and I believe that he has good support from the new ones and as usual from the greats.”

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