Nico Diez: Argentinos deserved Copa Argentina final spot | OneFootball

The 'Bicho' overcame Belgrano in Rosario and secured a ticket to the decisive match of the national cup. After the red victory, the coach of the La Paternal team spoke to the microphones.

Argentinos Juniors defeated Belgrano at the Gigante de Arroyito and managed to qualify for the final of the Copa Argentina, where they await either River or Independiente Rivadavia.

Once the match concluded, Nicolás Diez, coach of the 'Bicho', highlighted the performance of his players in Rosario and the coveted passage to the national title showdown. “They made a tremendous effort in a very difficult match. Turning around a result at this stage is not easy, but the boys controlled the game from start to finish. In the second half, they did everything to win it and are rightly deserving of reaching the final,” he stated.

“I think we did everything we could. In the first half, we had very clear chances, but we lacked calmness to play. In the second half, they realized they could attack, that they could push forward. With a lot of football, the team played an extraordinary match. Happy for the people and the institution that keeps growing,” added the former assistant to Sebastián Domínguez.

The coach praised the “identity of play that his players continue to seek,” and also responded to the fiery statements of Ricardo Zielinski in a press conference against the refereeing after the penalty that Tomás Molina converted into a goal.

“I didn’t review the play. I hope the referees make as few mistakes as possible. I think today they officiated well. We had two penalties called against us with Instituto where the players weren’t even grabbed, and I didn’t complain. This team did enough to advance to the next stage,” he maintained.

Diez argued that “there's always suspicion, that's clear, it's the country we live in.” It’s very difficult, I love football and trust my players. We’ve been disadvantaged in a lot of matches and I didn’t say anything nor will I say anything now. The team won the match on the field. I am calm because I know I go out to play, I don’t waste time and I don’t foul all the time,” he added.

The world champion with the Argentina U-20 team in 1997 stated that Argentinos Juniors faced an “opponent with a lot of hierarchy up front” and that “they responded with flying colors.” After once again praising his team’s current form, the coach expressed his happiness in “turning around situations that make you much stronger. “The best thing about playing football is being recognized by the people, and today the team is recognized by the fans, that makes me very happy,” he concluded.

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