Matias Vargas has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Argentina and Espanyol man Matias Vargas becomes the latest Argentine player to have the coronavirus. He joins German Pezzella, Ezequiel Garay and Paulo Dybala in the number of Argentine players who have it.
Fernando Batista, coach of the Argentina Olympic team, spoke to Vargas and has stated that the Espanyol player is doing well right now.
A speedy recovery to Vargas and everyone.
Juan Sebastian Veron gave an interview with Sky Sport in Italy where he spoke about the lack of Argentine defenders, his career in Italy, Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez.
Veron knows a thing or two about great defenders. Having played with many of them, both with the Argentina national team as well as during his playing career, he now looks for them as president of Estudiantes de La Plata. And according to him, there’s a lack of players who want to be defenders.
“Sadly, the kids, and I see it at the club I’m at when I go to watch players, they all want to play positions of central midfielders and up the pitch. It’s difficult to find good defenders or defensive midfielders.
“I don’t want to say that there aren’t any good Argentine defenders but in the past, there were many of them like Fabian Ayala, Walter Samuel, Gabriel Heinze, Javier Zanetti, Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone.
“Now, there are positions which Argentine kids don’t see. It’s clear that they’ll see a Messi, Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, the youth wants to play in those positions.”
Regarding his club career in Italy, here’s what Veron had to say:
“I was lucky enough to play in Italy. Italian football is very tactical, it helps you to change the way you understand this sport. It’s difficult to say which is the strongest team I played in. Maybe with Lazio, the team I won the Scudetto with. It was unique feeling. I have a link to every team I played in. I’m very attached with the clubs in Italy. I was fortunate enough to write history with those clubs along with my team mates.”
He was also asked about Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez:
“For me, they’re different. Dybala is a player who can not only play as a forward but also as a number 10. Lautaro no. But in the penalty area, he’s a player who hardly fails. They could play together, they could get better.”
Lionel Messi has donated €1 million to two different hospitals to help fight the coronavirus.
Messi’s donations will be split between two different medical centers. Per a report by ESPM, one part of his donation will go to a medical center in his home town of Rosario in Argentina. The other part of the donation will go to a hospital clinic in Barcelona.
Lionel Messi has donated €1 million in the fight against the coronavirus.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 24, 2020
Messi's donation will be split between two medical centres: Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and another in his native Rosario, Argentina. pic.twitter.com/4hkMy0gz2K
Rodrigo De Paul is in Italy with the entire world on lock down but he did give an interview with PH Podemos Hablar of Telefe.
The Argentina and Udinese midfielder spoke about Lionel Messi and shared some stories about being with the Argentina captain. Here’s what he had to say:
“When I’m next to him, I’d live moments I’d live moments I wouldn’t believe.
“When we would be together with the Argentina national team in training camp, a few nights he would be with Kun (Sergio Aguero) and we would go to their room. We would be six people playing truco and drinking mate. Then would come in someone from the staff with 60 shirts for Leo to sign: One for the president of the country where we were staying, one for the president’s son… The pilot of the plane would wake him up to sign something.”
De Paul added saying:
“It’s very difficult being him and he’s always available to speak with people.
“With Leo, we exchanged two shirts while playing in Spain. For this call-up, I would going to bring him something to sign but the matches are suspended. I’m confident in asking him but I don’t want to bother him either.”
With the Olympics postponed until next year, Argentina Olympic coach Fernando Batista was set to release a preliminary list of 50 players.
However, that list will now change. As we reported earlier, the IOC have confirmed the postponement of the games until no further than next year. While a lot can happen between now and the time the Olympics take place, Ole have release a rumored list of what would have been preliminary players for the tournament.
Goalkeepers:
Facundo Cambeses (Banfield)
Juan Pablo Cozzani (Lanús)
Manuel Roffo (Boca)
Julián Pourtau (Estudiantes)
Joaquín Blázquez (Talleres)
Defenders:
Hernán De La Fuente (Vélez)
Marcelo Herrera (San Lorenzo)
Facundo Mura (Estudiantes)
Facundo Nadalín (Newell’s)
Alexandro Bernabei (Lanús)
Gonzalo Montiel (River)
Nehuén Pérez (Famalicao – Portugal)
Cristiano Romero (Genoa – Italy)
Leonardo Balerdi (Borussia Dortmund – Germany)
Nazareno Colombo (Estudiantes)
Leonel Mosevich (Nacional – Portugal)
Juan Foyth (Tottenham – England)
Facundo Medina (Talleres)
Marcos Senesi (Feyenoord – Netherlands)
Lisandro Martínez (Ajax – Netherlands)
Lautaro Valenti (Lanús)
Claudio Bravo (Banfield)
Francisco Ortega (Vélez)
Gonzalo Escobar (Colón)
Midfielders:
Nicolás Capaldo (Boca)
Nicolás Domínguez (Bologna – Italy)
Aníbal Moreno (Newell’s)
Matías Zaracho (Racing)
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen – Germany)
Fausto Vera (Argentinos)
Tomás Belmonte (Lanús)
Santiago Cáseres (América – Mexico)
Jerónimo Cacciabue (Newell’s)
Juan Brunetta (Godoy Cruz)
Santiago Ascacibar (Hertha Berlín – Germany)
Santiago Colombatto (St. Truiden – Belgium)
Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton – England)
Lucas Robertone (Vélez)
Fernando Valenzuela (Barracas Central)
Ezequiel Barco (Atlanta United – United States of America)
Forwards:
Nahuel Bustos (Talleres)
Nicolás González (Stuttgart – Germany)
Julián Álvarez (River)
Adolfo Gaich (San Lorenzo)
Valentín Castellanos (New York City – United States of America)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter – Italy)
Ezequiel Ponce (Spartak Moscú – Russia)
Thiago Almada (Vélez)
Matías Vargas (Espanyol – Barcelona)
Agustín Urzi (Banfield)
A problem with the Olympics being delayed is that 17 of those 50 players would be over the age of 23 and would not be allowed to participate. Unless a change of rule was done, here would be 17 of the 50 players who wouldn’t be allowed to take part:
Goalkeepers:
Facundo Cambeses (Banfield)
Defenders:
Hernán De La Fuente (Vélez)
Facundo Nadalín (Newell’s)
Gonzalo Montiel (River)
Leonel Mosevich (Nacional – Portugal)
Marcos Senesi (Feyenoord – Netherlands)
Claudio Bravo (Banfield)
Gonzalo Escobar (Colón)
Midfielders:
Santiago Cáseres (América – Mexico)
Juan Brunetta (Godoy Cruz)
Santiago Ascacibar (Hertha Berlín – Germany)
Santiago Colombatto (St. Truiden – Belgium)
Lucas Robertone (Vélez)
Fernando Valenzuela (Barracas Central)
Forwards:
Lautaro Martínez (Inter – Italy)
Ezequiel Ponce (Spartak Moscú – Russia)
Matías Vargas (Espanyol – Barcelona)
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