Mateo Retegui made his debut for Italy at Euro 2024, putting his name among a long list of Argentines who represented the Azzurra in international competitions. In the 2-1 victory over Albania, in Group B, the former Tigre striker came on in place of Gianluca Scamacca 10 minutes into the final and, After the match, he shared his emotions and perspectives in an interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“I feel Italian. Although I have lived all my life in Argentina, when I come here, I feel at home. My grandfather and grandmother live in Argentina, and I come back to visit them because they are older and I want to be with them,” commented the forward, satisfied with his decision to represent Italy. Retegui arrived in Italy in July 2023. However, he had already made his presentation at the Azzurra, when he was still a scorer for Matador de Victoria.
When Mateo was asked about the possibility of having been called up by Lionel Scaloni for the Argentine National Team, Retegui was clear. “I can’t say it because he hasn’t called me. Roberto (Mancini) called me and I didn’t think about it. I immediately said yes. When they told me and I saw the list, I knew I would take the first plane,” he confessed. The centrality of players like Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez overshadowed his good moment in the Professional League. However, the Albiceleste coach has shown that he knows give opportunities, like with Giovanni Simeone, Lucas Boyé or Lucas Beltrán.
About his arrival in Italy and his first meeting with Roberto Mancini, the forward said: “I arrived at 12 at night and Mancini was waiting for me. He told me that he came here to play and score goals.. I trained for two or three days and it gave me the confidence to start against England and Malta, scoring two goals in two games.“. Regarding that debut against the Three Lions, Mateo recalled: “It wasn’t how I dreamed, because I always want to win and with this shirt you can’t lose, but it was beautiful.”
On the other hand, regarding his relationship with the current coach, Roberto Spalletti, Retegui added: “I do what the coach says. For me, the coach’s words, as my father always told me, are sacred. He wants me to play and help the team, with or without the ball. Finally, Retegui also showed his pride by singing the Italian national anthem. “I always sing the anthem, I always sing it well. Haven’t you seen me?” he commented with a smile.
