There will be 18 Argentina national team players that will charter a flight to Kansas City for the World Cup training camp.
Lionel Scaloni’s team will be based in Kansas City for the World Cup and 18 players are going to charter a flight to go there together. According to Diego Monroig, the 18 players are Gerónimo Rulli, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes, Exequiel Palacios, Valentín Barco, Nicolás González, Giuliano Simeone, Nico Paz, Thiago Almada, Giovani Lo Celso, Enzo Fernández, Julián Álvarez and José Manuel López.
Otamendi will join River Plate on July 1 on a contract that will keep him at the club until December 31 2027, joining them as a free agent. The Argentine spoke to Radio La Red about joining the club. Here is what he had to say:
“I’m very happy, more than that. I waited a long time for this moment, I’m fulfilling a dream.”
FC Barcelona have made an offer to Atletico Madrid for Julián Álvarez.
The reigning La Liga champions are interested in signing the Argentine but Atletico Madrid have an asking price. According to César Luis Merlo, FC Barcelona have sunmitted a €100 million bid to Atletico for Álvarez which was turned down.
Atletico Madrid are requesting €150 million for the Argentine.
“I’m very happy. I always imagined that when this moment arrived, I’d cry or have some other different reaction. But I’ve worked so hard and dreamed so much about this that today I mainly feel happiness.
“It’s a moment of great emotion, especially for my family, who have been by my side during the tough times and can now also enjoy this achievement. I’m happy for Palmeiras qualifying, for the team’s performance and of course for the call-up.
“If I stop to think about it, I’ll be living something historic. Sharing this moment with the greatest player in history, Lionel Messi. That’s very special to me. Now I want to make the most of it, work hard, help the national team in whatever way possible and be ready if an opportunity arises. The most important thing is to enjoy this moment an keep giving my best.”
“There’s no secret at all. I’d known for some time that Flaco López would be called up. Our coaching staff keeps in touch with various national teams and that information was already known internally.
“I didn’t tell him because dealing with that kind of expectation and emotion isn’t always easy. I always told Flaco that his national team was Palmeiras and that to get to the Argentina national team, he first needed to be performing well here.
“My message was simple. If he wanted to be called up, he would have to perform well at Palmeiras. Without that, the path to the national team would be much more difficult.”
Abel Ferreira also spoke about when they first signed the Argentine:
“Flaco López is the result of a lot of hard work. We know how difficult it is to form and develop players of that level, especially in a period when many players are living with the expectation of competing in a World Cup.
“We were heavily criticized for signing him. Flaco was questioned and pressured but when that happens, the answer has to be resilience. It’s about trusting the process and keep working.
“Football is like life. There are phases when everything flows and others when the difficulties show up. The difference isn’t just in winning or losing but in how we face obstacles.
“For me, what defines the best is the attitude in the face of tough moments. And Flaco showed that ability to keep going, believe in the work and evolve.”
