MATEO RETEGUI is part of the Italian squad that started the Euro Cupof which she is the current champion, with ahard-fought victory over Albania 2-1. The one born in San Fernando but with citizenship of that country He entered with eight minutes remaining by Gianluca Scamacca.
Mateo Retegui played a few minutes in Italy’s victory against Albania in the Euro Cup.
About his decision to represent the Azzurrawhich he took when he was at the peak of his career and had become the top scorer in Argentine soccer with the Tigre shirt, gave details in an interview awarded to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I feel Italian -he confessed-. Even though I have lived all my life in Argentina, when I come here I feel at home. My grandparents live in Argentina and I am going to return because they are very old and I am going to visit them. But here I feel at home.”
To show his identification with the country of his ancestors, he jokingly expressed that “I always knew the anthem of Italy, I swear; I sing it well, didn’t you see me?” And then, he sang the first verses and generated laughter from those present. “I know everything but I’m ashamed, I sing it when we’re all together”he pointed.
When asked what he would have done if he had received the call from Lionel Scaloni to join the Albiceleste, the 25-year-old forward stated: “I can’t say it because he didn’t call me. Roberto Mancini called me and I didn’t think about it, I said yes right away; I got on the first plane I could and traveled.”
And he recounted his first meeting with the then coach of the Italian team:
“When I saw Mancini for the first time, it was 12 at night, he was waiting for me. ‘Do you know why you are here?’ he asked me. ‘Yes, to play,’ I answered. And he replied: ‘Yes.’ , to play, but to score goals.’ ‘Perfect, I came for that,’ I replied. I trained for two or three days and he made me play as a starter for England and Malta and I scored two goals.
Of his debut with the Nazionale jersey, in no less than the legendary Napoli stadium, he recalled: “When we played at the Diego Armando Maradona, against England, we lost 2-1 but it was my first game, I scored a goal. It wasn’t as I dreamed because I always want to win and with this shirt you can’t lose, but it was beautiful.”
Now the coach of Italy is Luciano Spalletti, who prohibited his players from spending time playing video games. In this sense, Retegui assured that “I don’t play the Playstation. I’ve listened to the coach, so I don’t play. I heard him talk about what he wants and I do what he says. For me, what he says is a sacred word and I follow it to the letter always”.
COVER IMAGE: AFP
