2024-09-23 03:01:00
November 25, 2023 seems far away at the José Amalfitani. That day, Sebastián Méndez’s team beat Colón 3-1 and certified their permanence in Primera after an extremely distressing campaign. Just 10 months later, the scenario is diametrically opposite: the team leads the Professional Football League, is top of the annual table and has 10 consecutive games without losing. They are also in the quarterfinals of the Argentine Cup in which they will face Independiente. Their last defeat was against Boca, on June 14. And this Monday they will face Estudiantes, a rival that prevented them from adding a star to their list of achievements in a close penalty shootout in the previous competition.
The runner-up position, far from being lived with anguish, worked as a springboard to become the team with the most wins in the competition (9), with the most goals in favor (27) and the second with the least goals conceded (8). A 4-2-3-1 that comes from memory, with Braian Romero and Claudio Aquino as the team’s scorers with seven goals each and with Francisco Pizzini as an assistant (he has 4). The footballer who emerged from Independiente, with stints at Olimpo, Defensa and Talleres, spoke exclusively with Page 12 and he was blunt: “I am very happy at the club, I am not the Francisco who arrived last year. Sometimes some players find it difficult to adapt, others less so, but with hard work and willingness you always earn respect. Then you have to prove yourself on the pitch and I think that today I am at a high level that I try to enjoy because the whirlwind of football is very great and does not always allow it.
–How much does the physical aspect influence all this, both individually and as a team?
–It is something that Gustavo (Quinteros) gives a lot of importance to with his physical trainers (Hugo Roldán and Ivo Paciello). We work a lot on pressure, not letting up until the last minute. It happened to us a lot last tournament, when we reached the final where in the last few minutes we turned games around or won 1-0. That is a matter of going forward, of never giving up, and that is what our coach has instilled in us at Vélez.
–Until his departure from San Lorenzo, he had been the player with the most shots (3), most recoveries (11), first in chances created, in duels won (8/15) and in completed dribbles (3/5). At 31 years old this week, do you feel you are in the best moment of your career?
–I have had different moments in my career. Some were very high in Defense, although perhaps not having the prominence that I have today from another role since I was older, from being a reference. Nowadays I have the opportunity to give advice and that makes me happy, I like it and I accept it. I think that in every place I have been I have had peaks, but today I am at a moment where enjoyment helps me a lot to perform on the field.
–Could it be that as a midfielder he exploits his virtues better than as a forward?
–That depends a lot on the game and what Gustavo asks for. Sometimes we change into a 4-4-2, other times it’s 4-3-3, sometimes it’s a 4-2-3-1, we change it during the game. What interests me is to play, to be there, to help where I can. If at some point I have to come on, I will do it in the best way, because this is a team. We have to put the badge before everything else. As I always say, with work, humility and knowing how to listen, everything works out.
–A week ago he extended his contract until December 31, 2027. How much does stability play a role in the head?
–It has a huge influence because it shows you that you are doing things right. It is like a caress, a caress to the work, to the trajectory, to the things that one does throughout one’s career. Being able to extend the link goes hand in hand with that, I take it with responsibility and with the awareness of returning all the affection that the club is giving you because it makes an enormous effort. I am happy to be able to belong to the institution for another year.
–There are two important matches coming up with different meanings beyond the points at stake: it is the first re-edition of the final with Estudiantes and then they face the club that formed them, Independiente, in the quarter-finals of the Copa Argentina. How do you feel about this preview?
–We lived it well, calmly and with a lot of desire. Now the wait is getting a bit long because we had to play at the end of the date, but we take it with a lot of responsibility. First we are working on everything that is Estudiantes. Although,
It deprived us of a huge joy, but I am also satisfied with what we did in that final because we were up to the task. Football is like that, sometimes ungrateful, the ball hits the post and goes in and other times it goes out. I think that today we are a little more mature as a team and as a group. It strengthened us so that we could continue to demonstrate our game, continue as protagonists of the tournament and assume responsibility.
–What is this gift due to?
–It is Gustavo’s responsibility, who handles it very well because he never makes us bigger than he is. He tells us what we lacked, what we need to improve, even if we have scored four goals. If we score four goals, he points out that we could have scored six. So, I think that is where his hand and that of the coaching staff are, instilling in us the fact of insisting, of going for more and of not being satisfied. It is a very young group, which accepts that and is open to listening and learning. We all know that we have a lot to give.
–When they reached the final they were the “Vélez of miracles” and now even Lionel Scaloni is highlighting their level. How much did the above have to do with this present situation?
–We are continuing to improve. I think we have improved our aim as forwards, which was something we were lacking, because we were getting close to the ball a lot and were not getting enough. Today we are getting close to the ball just enough – perhaps less than last tournament – but we are scoring more. The difference is in our great effectiveness. The team is continuing to consolidate, it is not letting up, we try to embody Gustavo’s idea on the field and on any pitch, whether at home or away, and it makes us very happy when things are going well.
–He highlighted the physical and motivational part of the coaching staff, I now ask about the tactical aspect, because he was right in movements such as that of Agustín Bouzat as a double five or his case open on the right…
–Gustavo is very intelligent. He doesn’t just see the upcoming match, but the next three and he already has the changes in mind. He knows what can happen and it seems like nothing escapes him, he is always attentive to the details and finds the exact positions for the players to embody his idea and empower them greatly. I think that is happening to many kids today, it also happened to me, it empowered me and is getting a lot out of me, so I try to take advantage of it and rely on it.
–Lastly, I ask about the kids at the club, because Vélez was three-time champion in the last year in the Reserves. Does it feel like they are coming to First Division with the lessons learned? How is it for those from outside to adapt to so many youngsters?
–That’s how it is and that makes things easier for me and the coach. Because even though it should be normal for a young player to learn how to move, how to apply pressure in a certain way, how to retreat, how to get into the box, having it clear simplifies things a lot. The work that Vélez does in the lower divisions is a great help because the youngsters arrive with many tools. And even though the difficult thing afterwards – as they always say – is to stay, it’s also true that they manage to get something extra. Both in the Reserve with (Marcelo) Bravo, and in the Fourth with Flaco (Roberto Nanni), they are doing a great job. They give a lot of importance to the youngsters because Vélez is a training and selling club. We are happy to be able to accompany them in the process and excited about what may come.