“If the call is there, I will be strong at Inter”

The ends of a team are usually two key places for coaches. Because on one hand the goalkeepers guard the last defensive bastion and, on the other, the scoring center forwards require maximum effectiveness to achieve results. Yet the Argentine National Teamamong many other benefits, that equation works perfectly with Emiliano Dibu Martinez y Lautaro Martínezdespite the drought 16 parties that drags with the albiceleste shirt. And in a year where Olympic Games seem to cloud several of the world champions, El Toro also offered to be part of Paris 2024 to look for the third… gold medal.

“If Mascherano wants to count on me, I will always be available. I work to put on this shirt, I give my best at the club to be in this place. Since I was little I dreamed of entering the facility, of listening to the Anthem, I confirm that I am available. It doesn’t depend on us, but we will do our best if the call comes.“explained the Bahian Bull.

Beyond his moment, no one doubts Martínez’s ability and what his contribution would mean in an Olympic competition. All this, despite the fact that he has the fourth negative scoring streak of a footballer in the Argentine National Team, with 772 unconverted minutes.

He has not converted since September 23, 2022, prior to the World Cup in Qatar, when he scored against Honduras. On that list of droughts, he is behind Diego Armando Maradona (1190 minutes between 1990 and 1994), Mario Alberto Kempes (900 minutes between 1978 and 1982); and Angel Di Maria (875 minutes, between 2013 and 2014).

This streak caused him to receive criticism, not only on social networks, but from important figures in the football world such as the Italian Alessandro Costacurta, who punished him for his missed penalty in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Atlético de Madrid.

“Sometimes one controls oneself when speaking. Those comments are bad. Beyond the fact that they are opinions, they have to be fair opinions. He said that he was not in important games. That is not true. Scoring a goal in a semifinal against Milan “It was one of the most important games in the history of the two clubs. Beyond the goal, the game that Inter played, the game that I played… I invite you to watch it,” he replied.

“I let others talk and I try to do my job. The same thing always happens. After scoring three goals and you’re the best. I had to say it during the time in Racing where there was a lot of talk about me. I always tried to tone it down. When I didn’t you convert, they hit you more,” he concluded,

After the shock that Lionel Scaloni’s words meant after the victory at the Maracaná stadium against Brazil, the waters are calm and the Argentine National Team seems to have reset to put its new goal between its eyebrows: the Copa América.

“It’s not that we were worried, but we were with that doubt of knowing why (Scaloni) had said that, but with the peace of mind of knowing him, knowing what he formed, knowing that he always wants to go for more,” he said.

“That message was good for the group to continue in the same way, competing among ourselves. Ultimately, this sport entails that,” he added.

“It is a group that has been formed a long time ago. We are preparing in the best way. We raised the bar a lot and we have to continue raising it even higher. That goes hand in hand with training, in each game. The group is committed and eager to continue meeting objectives, which is what is important,” he stated.