Nico Paz is part of the Real Madrid squad for their match against Real Sociedad.

Paz has been called up for the first time to join the senior Real Madrid team by coach Carlo Ancelotti. An integral part of the Real Madrid Castilla, the 18 year old could make the bench for Tuesday’s match.

He will reportedly not be joining the Argentina U20 national team for the U20 World Cup which begins later this month.

📋✅ Our squad for the match 🆚 @RealSociedadEN!#RealSociedadRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/EbRM6hC0A3

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 2, 2023

Alejandro Mancuso spoke about the 2010 World Cup debacle, Javier Zanetti getting excluded and issues with Juan Sebastián Verón.

Mancuso was part of Diego Maradona’s coaching staff at the 2010 World Cup with the Argentina national team and has spoken about the debacle at the tournament. Javier Zanetti had just captained Inter to a treble winning season and was left out of the team which flew to South Africa for the World Cup. Speaking in an interview with Acá hay buen fútbol on Radio La Red, here is what he had to say:

“Zanetti’s (exclusion) was not a football issue, he was left out of the squad due to a group issue. That was our big mistake.

“At that time, there were some frictions with Verón, there were certain conflicts with Sorín. We were pretty ignorant of it. Then, there were group issues that Diego took the decision of the group over the players.

“A coach has to opt for the football issue. The group issue is important but at a national team level, if there is a conflict between one starter and another starter, it has to be settled within the locker room. It was a group issue, not only with one person.”

On Juan Sebastián Verón not starting in the 4-0 loss vs. Germany:

“That’s why we improvised with Otamendi. Before the 2010 World Cup, we had a friendly against Germany and we won 1-0 with a back line of four with Otamendi as full back. Ibarra was in good form but he was injured.

“The idea was for Verón to start. The night before the match, we had a meeting with Tucho Villani, the doctor. And he told us that Verón had some issues with his knee and that he was not 100 percent.

“That doubt caused us to keep the same team. If he was good at that time, I believe we would have ended with Bruja (Verón) playing and Tevez out.”

Marcos Rojo spoke about the 2018 World Cup with the Argentina national team and his goal against Nigeria.

Rojo was part of two FIFA World Cup tournaments with the Argentina national team, making the final in one and playing a pivotal role in the second. When the Argentina national team took to the pitch against Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup, it was a match they would have to win and a match which saw a different eleven from the one that started the loss against Croatia.

Now no longer part of the Argentina national team, Marcos Rojo spoke in an interview with Líbero Vs on TyC Sports about that World Cup. Here is what he had to say about it and about the coach at the time, Jorge Sampaoli:

“Making many changes at a World Cup is very difficult. You play for your life in every match. Before the World Cup, it looked like everything was clear but we got there and half of it was lost. A player feels that.

“I played against Iceland, we drew, he took me out against Croatia where we lost 3-0 and I was back playing against Nigeria.”

In regards to the team chat before the match against Nigeria:

“We had a normal team chat, as always. There were many for whom it was their first World Cup and those are burned for life. We agreed that those who were in the national team the longest played.

“That’s how the coach saw it at that moment. Every match cost us but even so and everything with France, we were winning and at the end we were close to tying it.”

Regarding his goal at the 2018 World Cup:

“The goal I celebrated the most at the 2018 World Cup was against Nigeria. I didn’t know I had Messi on my back, I just wanted to get to Mercado who played me the cross. He crossed it and I was there with my right foot, impossible. I hit it with my right foot but perfectly hit it. I could kick 100 times and I wouldn’t score.

“It would have been crazy to be eliminated in the group with Leo on the pitch, they would have killed us all, imagine. It was going to be a catastrophe, so imagine the relief that was, in that minute.”