He saw the three finals that Argentina won in the football world championships. How do you compare those from 1978 and 1986 with those from 2022?
They all implied different things. In the 1978 final, he did not live in Argentina. I was exiled to Mexico because at that time there was a dictatorship of iron and fire in Argentina and I was forced to leave my country. I experienced that finale with an emotion that I can hardly repeat. Because? Because I felt that at that time the opportunity for Argentines to show their joy, their enthusiasm and their unity, beyond the oppressive regime we lived with, was the only way for these people to express themselves in freedom. And the distance, the obligation to be outside, the impossibility of taking part in this popular demonstration, made a great impression on me. At that time, people like me mixed two things that we shouldn’t mix: a kind of national feeling and sport, which are two completely different things. The other final, in Mexico in 1986, marked Argentina’s crowning as a first-class football power, something that was already lagging behind as our country’s footballing prowess has always produced great individual talents. But what I will never forget is the game against the English and this for two reasons. Firstly because I saw the best goal of my life, and I watched a lot of football because I am a football fan. And secondly because we beat England and that has symbolic value for us. And I urge again, we must not confuse things, but sometimes soul wins over reason.
It was three years after the Falklands War…
Yes… And this third final, on Sunday, well… actually I’ve never seen such a dramatic World Cup final. I think Argentina was a fair winner, we dominated the game with very good football for, I would say, 70 or 75 minutes. And then, first, the tie happens. And if we score a goal with 4 or 5 minutes left in extra time, Mbappé resurfaces and we are level with a penalty. I’m honest, I didn’t see the last penalties, I went to the yard, because my heart couldn’t take it anymore.
There is a lot of talk about Messi being extraordinary, but Di María, McAllister and Enzo Fernández all showed impressive talent and determination. Messi is the star, but is the team up to standard?
Yeah right. Look, Messi is an unparalleled player this season, I would say there is no other player in the world like him. But in this team you can see the features of what the coach managed to form. Players like McAllister, Julian Álvarez, who hasn’t played in the Champions League for a year, is around 20 years old and he was a revelation at this World Cup. Also Enzo Fernández, whom Benfica fans love to see every Sunday. Just like Nahuel Molina. These are youngsters that no one had on the radar and whose squad and achievements reflect the work Lionel Scaloni has put in to reach this moment in the championship. I think there were three virtues. The first is unity. These players don’t need money or fame, they already have both in their pocket, they have them in Europe. They put their heart and soul into the field because they felt they were part of something very important to the Argentine people and they wanted to bring joy to that people. And besides unity there was also togetherness and organization.
And they all play outside Argentina, except one, right?
Absolutely, almost all of them come from European clubs, but they put on a huge show of unity. They were clearly united around a goal, which was to win the championship and bring joy to Argentine society. And they did. And this unity was reflected in the streetscape. Argentina is a very divided country today, where the other is sometimes seen not as an opponent who thinks differently, with whom we can disagree, but with whom you go for a drink or a coffee at the end of the day. It is often seen simply as an enemy that must self-destruct. And the Argentina national team has led by example through these athletes. We have millions of Argentines celebrating in the streets, without an act of violence, without hearing anyone say: “you belong to a certain political party”, “you belong to a certain organization”. No no. We are all Argentines celebrating a national cause.
Who is better, Messi or Maradona?
I honestly don’t think they are comparable. From a footballing point of view, they are two different times, and the football played today has little to do with football in the days of Maradona’s splendour. And even personalities are not similar. Messi has a completely different personality than Maradona. There is no comparison: both are great in their own way, one with its features, which we can like or not, and the other also with its features, which we can like or not. They are two football phenomena, from two different eras and they are two different football players.
How do you explain the love of Argentines for football? Is it a national sport that all boys play on the street?
Yes Yes. Argentina is a country built fundamentally by European immigration, especially Spaniards and Italians, and each of the sources has contributed something, in addition to the contributions of the original peoples. Prior to Spanish rule, indigenous colonies were relatively small and quickly assimilated into Spanish culture. With the arrival of the British, we received and built an economic structure together. Ports, railways and other things, but also sports. In Argentina, football, rugby and others are the most popular sports, all English-based sports. This is because with British immigration came knowledge about things like infrastructure and also the sports that the English enjoyed – and football quickly caught on.
So the presence of football is old and popular since then?
A transformation has taken place. We had no national sports, everything is imported.
But in 1930, at the first World Cup, Argentina was already a football superpower and managed to reach the final.
Yes Yes. It’s better not to talk about that World Cup so that we don’t conflict with our Uruguayan brothers, but yes, we were a powerhouse and still we lost the final.
As Argentina’s ambassador to Portugal, would you like the final to be between the two countries and a Messi-Ronaldo duel?
I admit I even thought about this possibility, which was a real nightmare. Only it is very difficult not to cherish Portugal. It is something I never tire of repeating: Portugal is a friendly country, in the sense that it is worth loving. Still, if that final had happened, my heart would obviously have been with Argentina.
Source: DN
