Lisandro Martínez and Cristian Romero are not the only Argentine defenders receiving praise in the Premier League. Although the spotlight doesn’t shine directly on him, Marcos Senesi shines match after match at Bournemouth. A relief for Lionel Scaloni in the Argentine National Team, who didn’t hesitate to wait for him, despite Italy’s insistence on calling him up.
In a relaxed chat with Agustín Creevy, a former Puma and very close to several footballers, the defender recalled the moment when the Azzurra reached out to him: “I was at Feyenoord. The Argentina–Italy Finalissima was coming up. I found out because someone from the club called me and said, ‘Marcos, I received an email from the Italian federation, they want to get in touch with you.’ I answered them because I wanted to be respectful.”
Four-time world champions, Roberto Mancini’s team had just won the Euro Cup and sought to entice Senesi, just as they did with Mauro Camoranesi, Daniel Osvaldo, Gabriel Paletta, and even Mateo Retegui. “They told me they wanted to count on me, they told me about the project…,” he commented.
However, Argentina already had him secured, as he had been informed that the coach was closely following him and that if he maintained that high level, he would have his chance with the albiceleste jersey. “A few weeks before it came out that Italy wanted me, I had spoken with Walter Samuel, and he told me I had a chance of being called… So the decision was easy in that sense,” assured the former San Lorenzo player.
Finally, he was called up to play the Finalissima with his country and, although he didn’t get any minutes, he celebrated with Lionel Messi and company on the Wembley field. He always knew it was his National Team and nothing else: “The truth is it didn’t weigh on me. I prefer to fight to be there and play for my country, and whether it’s 5, 10, or 15 matches… But they are for my country. And I imagined myself with Italy, standing with the anthem… I have to sing the anthem of another country that I don’t feel identified with. Beyond the respect for a team like Italy, I wasn’t going to feel part of it.”
Since his promising start at San Lorenzo, Senesi had been dreaming of the Major: “I always knew that the opportunity with the National Team would come to me at some point. For some, it comes earlier, and it’s part of football and life itself. The opportunity came to me now, and I feel like I’m taking advantage of it.”
Only 26 names will be part of Scaloni’s final list. The Bournemouth leader is hopeful because he has been making merits for a long time. Just last weekend, he was the standout figure in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool and took home the MVP award.
“In the end, the World Cup is a dream. The feeling and the anxiety are like in rugby, and all that it emotionally entails we share. There are many players, and it could be anyone’s chance. It’s a decision for the coach, which will be difficult, but I feel like I’m having a good year,” he concluded.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
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