Home Blog Page 1559

RIQUELME: Is he a Prima-Donna?

Roy Nemer
-
0

It’s well-known that Juan Román RIQUELME is not exactly an easy-going guy. He has always been impossible to talk with for the local press when he first came to the scene playing for Boca.

He would score a hat-trick and yet refuse to talk with the journalist after the match.

Some think he is special and once you get to know him and become his friend he is a great guy. Some think he always have the same face, the same look in his eyes. It doesn´t matter if he scores a crucial goal or he miss an all-important penalty kick. He´ll always have the same expression.

But the most controversial side of RIQUELME seem to take place in the kitchen of football: the dressing room.

The Chilean newspaper “La Tercera” have published an article about the rift between RIQUELME and Villarreal manager Manuel PELLEGRINI who have decided to exclude ROMÁN from his squad and sent him on loan to Boca Juniors.

Now the details that La Tercera have unveiled are shocking (to say the least).

Arguably, RIQUELME was guilty of the following acts of misconduct while at Villarreal:

• Complained about the weight of the ball

• Refused to participate in some volunteer team training

• Include family members on the team´s travelling buses

• Arrange a press conference to announce his retirement from international football at Villarreal without the consent of the club´s authorities

• Listen to music on his MP4 player while PELLEGRINI was giving the pre-match talk to the team.

Granted these are rumours or versions published in Chile, but knowing RIQUELME I have little doubts they are true.

Here´s the list with VERON confirmed and some (more) surprises

Roy Nemer
-
0

Alfio BASILE made public his first list formed by Argentine footballers from our local league.

They will start training next Monday.

Here´s the list:

Goalkeepers:
Juan Pablo CARRIZO (River Plate)
Oscar USTARI (Independiente)

Defenders:
Paulo FERRARI (River Plate)
Daniel DÍAZ (Boca Juniors)
Eduardo TUZZIO (River Plate)
Hugo IBARRA (Boca Juniors)
Hernán PELLERANO (Vélez Sársfield)
Germán RÉ (Newell´s Old Boys)
Jonathan BOTTINELLI (San Lorenzo)

Midfielders:
Leonardo PONZIO (River Plate)
Fernando BELLUSCHI (River Plate)
Juan Sebastián VERÓN (Estudiantes)
Neri CARDOZO (Boca Juniors)
Agustín PELLETIERI (Lanús)
Sebastián LETO (Lanús)
Daniel MONTENEGRO (Independiente)
Cristian LEDESMA (San Lorenzo)
José SOSA (Estudiantes)

Forwards:
Mariano PAVONE (Estudiantes)
Ezequiel LAVEZZI (San Lorenzo)
Rodrigo PALACIO (Boca Juniors)
Mauro ZÁRATE (Vélez Sársfield)

Instead of 20 or 21 players that were mentioned, the list contains 22.

The difference from the list I´ve published the day before the official announcement are:

The inclussion of José SOSA (Estudiantes) and the San Lorenzo pair of: Jonathan BOTTINELLI and Cristian LEDESMA.

Also Mario BOLATTI (Belgrano) was in my list but now he wasn´t called up by COCO.

VERON wants to come back

Roy Nemer
-
0

I´ve been doing the math and the numbers are not lying. Juan Sebastián VERÓN will be 34 years-old come South Africa 2010.

Is he as old as we tend to think? Or will he be able to get to the next World Cup as an impact player?

We are moments away from the moment in which COCO will name his first 20-21 players from the local league to start building up a team with the focus on the Copa America Venezuela 2007 (starting in June).

When all the main newspapers and websites from Argentina start to talk about a name, it´s almost certain that some piece of info have leaked out from the AFA and it´s just a matter of time until we can confirm the rumours.

Now Juan Sebastián VERÓN talked with the media (Olé.com.ar) and he´s saying he is anxiously waiting for the list to be officialised and is dreaming of seeing his name on it.

He said:

“The desire I’ve got, leads me to feel that I could be on the list, but nothing is official yet, there are rumours, but so far they´re only that: just rumours.

“I would love to be in the next World Cup. The only thing standing in my way (to South Africa 2010) could be my age, but I still feel plenty of will to play and to be in our national team. Even though I consider that I had a good career, it´ll be like closing something very important.”

In that very last sentence, I don´t think it´s clear if he means he wants to finish his career playing “something very important” as a World Cup or if he means that it´ll be “closing something very important” referring to the very hard period he had after the 2002 World Cup in which he was blame by the entire public opinion for Argentina´s quick elimination.

He added:

“I went through different phases, anger, frustration and I was asking my self “why?”. Then I calmed down and started to live with it (being away from the National Team). Even if football is very important for me, it never stops being just a sport and sometimes we create a big drama around it. It was not a nice sporting moment for me, because when you play football you always have a number of goals and to be a part of our national team is always one of them.”

A star coming back amongst 20 local names

Roy Nemer
-
0

It has been rumoured that Coco BASILE will name a list of players from the Argentine league as early as this week.

The return of Juan Sebastián VERÓN is something that should not surprise anybody.

COCO wants to work with this group of players for the Copa America (Venezuela 2007 in June) but for that tournament, he will also call-up some big names from Europe.

In the meantime, he´ll have the time to work more time with his players than any regular big country national team and he can only benefit from that. Especially knowing that very soon, most of the players in the list will eventually move to Europe as well.

Now, before he makes that list public, here are the names that has been sounding strongly:

Goalkeepers:
Juan Pablo CARRIZO (River Plate)
Oscar USTARI (Independiente)

Defenders:
Paulo FERRARI (River Plate)
Daniel DÍAZ (Boca Juniors)
Eduardo TUZZIO (River Plate)
Hugo IBARRA (Boca Juniors)
Hernán PELLERANO (Vélez Sársfield)
Germán RÉ (Newell´s Old Boys)

Midfielders:
Mario BOLATTI (Belgrano)
Leonardo PONZIO (River Plate)
Fernando BELLUSCHI (River Plate)
Juan Sebastián VERÓN (Estudiantes)
Neri CARDOZO (Boca Juniors)
Agustín PELLETIERI (Lanús)
Sebastián LETO (Lanús)
Daniel MONTENEGRO (Independiente)

Forwards:
Mariano PAVONE (Estudiantes)
Ezequiel LAVEZZI (San Lorenzo)
Rodrigo PALACIO (Boca Juniors)
Mauro ZÁRATE (Vélez Sársfield)

POLL: Who is the best Argentine player RIGHT NOW?

Roy Nemer
-
0

I´ve been thinking after the World Cup and with a new process starting at the helm of our national team and it is a good idea to invite you to vote for who you think is the best Argentine player these days.

You may have your favourites, you can vote with your heart, but what I´m looking for is for an unbiased opinion and what I would like you to consider who is playing the best football right now.

Here´s my Top10 players (not in order) but you can also vote for others:

Roberto ABBONDANZIERI (GETAFE): It´s hard to put keepers to compete against field players. Sometimes it´s unfair for the keeper, because his job doesn´t stand out as much, but in this case, I think he is worth a nomination here. In his first season at Getafe, he is La Liga´s top goalkeeper and currently leading the Zamora prize standings (the prize awarded to the keeper who received less goals during the season in Spain). He is ahead of Iker CASILLAS (Real Madrid), Víctor VALDEZ (FC Barcelona) and PALOP (Valencia) and playing for a small club like Getafe, makes this an even more important achievement.

Roberto AYALA (VALENCIA): After a brilliant World Cup, he is keeping up a good level of performances and have secured a move from Valencia to Villarreal for next season. Yesterday, unfortunately, some Valencia supporters have painted some walls in the city with death threats and insults for our national team most capped player.

Gabriel MILITO (REAL ZARAGOZA): A fine season from “The Marshal”. Commanding Zaragoza´s defense and playing a great game in Paris against France.

Nicolás BURDISSO (INTERNAZIONALE): 16 straight wins for Inter with Nico scoring some goals and playing very well. He is also Inter´s top scorer in the Coppa Italia this season with four.

Esteban CAMBIASSO (INTERNAZIONALE): Another great reason why Inter is running away with the title in Serie A. CUCHU is a key member of the black & blue midfield and he is also contributing with a number of goals, like the one he scored this week against Valencia for the Champions League.

Javier ZANETTI (INTERNAZIONALE): After unfairly missing out of the World Cup squad, PUPI have comeback to our national team and played a part in Argentina´s goal against France. He is also standing out for Inter where he plays in defense or midfield depending on where MANCINI needs him.

Luis “LUCHO” GONZALEZ (FC PORTO): Scored what probably is the best goal of the Champions League´s current season and it is an established figure in our national team. Is helping Porto in their quest to repeat the Portuguese title obtained last year while they are still alive in the Champions League.

Sergio AGÜERO (ATLÉTICO MADRID): KUN is playing more minutes now and he is proving his worth with crucial goals for “ALETI”. He managed to make the press talk about an Atlético player other than Fernando TORRES and now it´s rumoured that a lot of European clubs are after his signing.

Diego MILITO (ZARAGOZA): A scoring monster, Diego is really fighting for the Pichichi prize (award given to La Liga´s top goalscorer). He has hard competition with KANOUTÉ and RONALDINHO, but he is hanging in there and he doesn´t seem to be willing to stop.

Javier SAVIOLA (FC BARCELONA): He is always there and he scores at every chance he has (like in Paris against France). He started the year with 8 goals between La Liga, Copa del Rey and that friendly against France.

1...1,5581,5591,560...1,578Page 1,559 of 1,578
Mundo Albiceleste Logo

Mundo Albiceleste is your home for all the latest news about the Argentina National Football team in English!

mundoalbiceleste10@gmail.com

privacy policy

Latest articles

Mundo Albiceleste Archives