2023-11-15 07:30:21
“Are you going to spend the whole day like this?” asked Messi. “Yes, of course”, he answered Pablo Maffeo. These were the first words exchanged between the Argentine star and the former white-and-red player on the day they met. They were last September 23, 2017 in one Girona-Barça in Montilivi, which ended in favor of the Blaugrana team with two own goals fromApplicant i by iraiz and another from Luis Suarez (0-3). That night, the current one defense of Mallorca became the shadow of Messimaking a mark on the man that lasts over time. Maffeo he pulled out of his sleeve a Messi, preventing the former Barça striker from playing and his teammates from passing him the ball even if they saw him alone. Now, six years later, they share a wardrobe at the Argentine national team.
this week Maffeo put on the shirt for the first timeArgentina and is exercised with the world champions a Ezeizathe concentration center of the albiceleste. Lionel Scaloni has given him the opportunity to make his debut with the Argentine national team and play alongside Messiwho recently won his eighth Golden Pilot. At the moment, they are already winning together in training.
The Catalan right back is the son ofAlfonsoan Italian toy company representative who doesn’t like soccer, and Marisa, an Argentinian veterinarian who also doesn’t care much about sport. However, the joy for the family is immense. “The first thing I did was call my mother, obviously. He didn’t believe it at first. I thought I was playing one of my pranks on him. I think I was the first person who deserved to know. I hung up and started screaming,” he explained Maffeo proud to be part of the list of world champions.
Argentina will face next Thursday theUruguay of Marcelo Bielsa in the stadium Mario Alberto Kempes of Córdoba (1:00 a.m. from Thursday to Friday in Spain) and al Brazil of Fernando Diniz at the legendary stadium of Maracana (3:30 a.m. from Tuesday 21 to Wednesday 22) in the matches of the qualifying league for the World Cup 2026. Yes Scaloni makes his debut Maffeothe ex-Girona player will play alongside Messi. “He is the best footballer in history, I have his shirt framed. It was my turn to face him with the Girona and now I’ll have him by my side, it’s incredible”, said the Mallorca player.
That day a Montilivi he left more anecdotes apart from marking the Argentine star. Maffeo he didn’t ask for the shirt a Messibecause he had promised a friend Ter Stegen’s: “I asked the goalkeeper. Messi it’s the best, but friends come first.” During the game, since they didn’t play much either, Messi he took an interest in him and took the opportunity to ask him how old he was (20) and if he was on loan from City.
The return of Maffeo to Girona
Maffeo, with three nationalities, represented for the last time Spain in 2018 with the under-21 selection. “Scaloni asked me if I wanted to play with Argentina and I told him yes. My hair stands on end,” he assured.
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