Papu Gómez speaks out on his relationship with Lionel Scaloni | OneFootball

The midfielder Alejandro "Papu" Gómez spoke publicly again and made strong statements about his relationship with Lionel Scaloni and his departure from the Argentine national team after the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The midfielder recalled his early days at Atalanta with the current coach of the "Albiceleste": "When I arrived at Atalanta, there were the Tank Denis, Maxi Moralez and Scaloni, who was kind of a misfit. Leo came from Lazio, they had separated him, they wanted to get rid of him, but he trained with us. He didn't play much, but he trained like hell. He was the person who helped me from the first day with everything: buying a car, looking for a house".

In a conversation with journalist Julián Polo, Gómez also described what Scaloni was like as a footballer: "Unbearable, in a good way. He was active all the time, with a lot of energy. Making jokes, training, always at full speed. He was very loved in the locker room".

He also highlighted his intelligence as a coach: "He was very clever in the management part: he made a very good renovation in the national team after Russia 2018, he surrounded Leo well with talented players who were going to kill for him. He is very close to the player, he is straightforward and doesn't talk nonsense. This created a harmonious atmosphere".

"Papu" reviewed his journey in the "Albiceleste" and how he went from being a substitute to a key piece in the 2021 Copa America: "When he called me, I was coming from being the player of the month in Italy and I didn't play a minute. It was difficult, because I share a position with the best in the world. But never a sour face, never anything. I trained like hell. I ended up playing the Copa America and being important, showing that I could play".

He even said that he had an influence on the arrival of Cristian Romero: "He came to ask me about a left center back and I told him: 'Take Cuti, he's a crack'. First he called me and then he called him".

About his doping sanction, the midfielder did not dodge responsibilities: "I don't want to play the victim. The fool was me, who took a cough syrup from my son that I couldn't take. I ate it and here I am. The first months were very hard, I was angry with everything, I isolated myself, I worked with psychologists and with myself. Little by little I was able to get up".

Gómez admitted that he even moved away from football and that the blow led him to rethink his future: "I don't want to be retired like this. I want to retire when I want to. Also for my children, so they can see that their dad kept fighting and returned to do what he likes most: play".

Finally, he valued the support he received during this time: "I was surprised by the people who disappeared, but I was also pleasantly surprised by those who appeared out of nowhere. I met more people in these two years as a former player than in the six I was at Atalanta".

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.