In an announcement that generated great expectation was that of Lionel Scaloni, coach of the Argentine National Team, who announced the list of 26 players who will represent the country in the next Copa América 2024. The most notable inclusion is that of the young attacker Valentín Carboni, 19 years old, who debuted with the senior team in March of this year and made a lasting impression on Lionel Messi during a friendly against Guatemala.
This player, unknown to many, has football in his blood, since His father was a renowned national and international player who managed to perform in Argentine soccer and also internationally..
Ezequiel Carboni, the career of Valentín Carboni’s father
Ezequiel Carboni, born on April 4, 1979 in Buenos Aires, is a former soccer player and current coach. He played as a midfielder and currently manages the AC Monza reserve. He began his career in Lanús and had an outstanding time at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He also played for Banfield before retiring. Although he played in minor divisions of the Argentine National Team, he did not play matches with the senior team.
As a coach, after Banfield terminated his contract, he directed the sixth division of Lanús, which managed to win the championship. When Jorge Almirón resigned from the first division, Carboni assumed the role of technical director. After failing to get a number of points in the local tournament, he resigned due to strong rejection from the club. Then he went technical director of Lanús until August 26, 2018, and in September of the same year he became the coach of Argentinos Juniors.
After being fired, after the consecutive defeat in 4 games, he returned to Italy to coach the Catania Calcio reserve and then to the AC Monza reserve.
The story of Valentín Carboni
Valentín Carboni was born on March 5, 2005 in Buenos Aires. He is the son of Ezequiel Carboni, former Lanús player and coach. Valentín, along with his older brother Franco, began his football career in the Lanús youth teams. In 2018, his family decided to emigrate to Europe, which allowed him to develop in Catania in Italy.
Carboni’s talent did not go unnoticed and He quickly attracted the attention of Inter Milan, who signed him for their youth divisions when he was only 13 years old. In Inter’s youth ranks, he demonstrated his quality, which earned him call-ups for the youth teams of the Italian National Team, thanks to his Italian nationality.
Despite his experiences with the Italian youth teams, Carboni was always clear about his desire to play for Argentina. “Without discrediting everything experienced in the Italian National Team, the truth is that I, like a dad, appreciate it, but Argentina is Argentina,” declared his father in an interview with Radio La Red.
Shortly after his first call-up with the Argentine National Team in March 2023, Inter decided to loan Carboni to Monza, a Serie A team, so that he could gain minutes and experience. In the season, Carboni played 31 of Monza’s 39 games. His consistent performance earned him a spot on the national team.
Impact on the National Team
During the tour prior to the Copa América, Carboni impressed everyone, especially in the friendly against Guatemala, where he was key in the attack and generated a penalty in favor of Argentina. Lionel Messi praised his performance and said: “He has a great future, present and future, we must take advantage of it as well as many boys who come with great strength”.
Although he probably won’t start as a starter, Carboni showed that he can be a valuable option for Scaloni at any point in the tournament. His ability to influence the game and positive mentality make him a valuable addition to the Albiceleste, which will seek to revalidate its 2021 title.
