Why you left Messi on the bench against Germany in the 2006 World Cup and what advice would you give him at this difficult time in his career: 12 phrases by José Pekerman

At age 71, Jose Pekerman He talks like what he is, a soccer teacher. In an interview with TNT Sports, the talent trainer and coach recalled his time in the Argentine national team at youth and senior level, and referred to the cracks who passed through his hands, such as himself Lionel Messi. He also spoke for the first time about his departure from the Colombian team. And he warned that his career on the substitute bench has not yet ended: “As of March we are to continue directing”.

Just 24 hours after hard blow suffered by Barcelona before him PSG (He lost 4-1 for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16), José Néstor elaborated on the moment of Messi, 33 years old. Forced to act as the savior of a team that is not up to his talent, reluctantly after the internal conflicts that led him to try to leave in 2020 and just four months after being released.

“It is not pleasant, happy, to see this moment of Messi, what has happened to him. The moment he had made a decision, it seemed so final and it seemed like there was no turning back … And from what has been happening, it seemed like he was right at the time. It is difficult to comment on internal issues. Each club has its special situation, but he has been an emblem, the icing on the cake of this generation, of this Barcelona team that delighted us for a decade. Like any cycle, there always comes a stage of decay. Sometimes the out of series are the ones who can suffer the most from these falls, it must be a very hard time for Lionel, his family. This type of problem, do not finish it; He can be seen well individually, he has a lot to give and in the National Team he continues to be a key player ”, he analyzed.

The DT evoked how the discovery of the Flea was on the Ezeiza property. And the operation so that the selection of Spain would not take him: “The best advice is to give free rein to what you want. As it was when we went to look for it and we practically stole it from Spain. And he chose Argentina. We already knew who he was, we had seen him from some videos, both Claudio Vivas, who spoke with Tocalli and we already had some reports; It was at the moment that I had left the National Team, it was when I went to work in Spain in Leganés, with the great Carlitos Aimar. There we saw him play in Barsa youth. We made the strategy; it was the moment. The South American was approaching to qualify for the World Cup in Holland ”, he said.

“Those decisions were pure from him, from the heart, he always made those decisions, as did the family when they decided to go to Spain when they were young. All decisions were always of that type. Now, in these moments, the advice that I could humbly give you is to be happy”, He concluded.

OTHER PEKERMAN DEFINITIONS

How the Selection promoted Messi when he was a youth

“On the return to Spain, after the 2005 South American Sub 20, Barcelona had started the preseason and Rijkaard took him to join the first team. There they call me from the club, from Barcelona: ‘Can you come?’ I went with concern. When I get to the club, they say, ‘what did you do to him?’ I made a shocked face. If he played well, they are all happy, I thought. ‘But that boy is another. We knew it was already a project. Rijkaard saw it today and can’t believe it. It’s driving us crazy because we hadn’t started the community passport process. ‘ From there he was incorporated into the first team. They saw him aggressive, something that made me very curious. And I attributed a lot to the fact that that team was a great team. What I feel will have happened to Leo at that time is that all those players were already playing in the First category with a great category and he was far from the First. And when you join a team, it was infected, it hit a change in mood and temperament. It was a discovery ”.

The controversy for having left him in the bank against Germany in the 2006 World Cup

“I explained to him: ‘You’re going to be the best in the world, I see that. But this World Cup is not going to be yours yet. You are going to play all the minutes you can have according to the situations of the matches. But it will help you to listen, learn … Come closer, let go because your Mumndial is going to be the one from South Africa. And you are going to play for many years in the National Team ”.

“The image that remained is that he did not enter that last game. That last change … I was very famished, I don’t want to go back to that last game … But in that bench there were still Pablito Aimar, Savuiola, Rodrigo Palacio … We had an extraordinary bench ”.

“There was Julio Cruz who gave us in those minutes something that was key. It is very difficult to predestine if he could change history. Then the result punishes you, unfortunately. we cannot change it. And the pain was very great ”.

The blow for that fall on penalties against Germany, and why did it not continue?

“That elimination was a tremendous frustration, it was one of the most frustrating results that the National Team had in World Cups. Despite the insistence of Julio Grondona, who gave me many explanations for me to continue and arrive in South Africa 2010, I told him no, that I had worked with Bielsa and it did not seem to me that I should take the team. “

Why did you choose Bielsa as coach of the National Team when you were manager

“I met an exceptional coach, we were not friends. Already because of the work he had done and because of how we knew each other, he knew the way of thinking. We agreed very well that he had to help in everything that was off the court, and he bet on his ability to develop the work he did. They were very important years ”.

The secret of his team’s success in the Argentine youth teams

“We have been a team, we have always been a team, and it is something we wanted to capture when we started. We were few, with little support, but we were clear that we had to work as a team. Today there is so much talk about modernity, and if you don’t work as a team it is very difficult to meet all the needs, to take care of the players, their health. Today there are the boys (for Scaloni, Aimar, Placente …), who have experience, they have known how to be in difficult situations. It’s hopeful, and hopefully things continue like this. “

Your departure from the Colombian national team, were you already looking for a replacement while you were directing the World Cup in Russia?

I have no proof of that. There are times when there is a crisis and it is like nobody wants to grab anything. But there are moments when things are good, it is seen that there is a potential, other desires begin to appear, other situations. In the competition it is like that. But more than anything, in all places there is always a desire to achieve something more ”.

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