Senesi: Chat with Scaloni’s staff made me pick Argentina over Italy | OneFootball

Lisandro Martínez and Cristian Romero are not the only Argentine defenders piling up praise in the Premier League. Even though the spotlight isn’t directly on him, Marcos Senesi shines match after match at Bournemouth. This is a comfort for Lionel Scaloni in the Argentine National Team, who didn’t hesitate to wait for him, despite Italy’s persistent efforts to call him up.

In a relaxed chat with Agustín Creevy, former Puma and very close to several footballers, the center-back recalled the moment when the Azzurra made his phone ring: “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 got 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 been crowned at the Euro and was trying to entice Senesi, just as they had done 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 lined up, as he had been told that the coach was watching him closely and that if he kept up that outstanding level, he would get his chance with the Albiceleste jersey. “A few weeks before the news came out that Italy wanted me, I had spoken with Walter Samuel and he told me there was a chance I’d get called up… So the decision was easy in that sense,” said the former San Lorenzo player.

In the end, he was called up to play the Finalissima with his country and, although he didn’t get any minutes, he celebrated the victory lap alongside Lionel Messi and company on the Wembley pitch. He always knew that this 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, whether it’s 5, 10, or 15 games… But they’re for my country. And I imagined myself with Italy, standing for the anthem… I’d have to sing the anthem of another country I don’t feel identified with. Beyond my 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 senior team: “I always knew the opportunity with the national team would come to me at some point. For some it comes earlier, and that’s part of football and of life itself. The opportunity has come now and I feel like I’m making the most of it.”

Only 26 names will be on Scaloni’s final list. The Bournemouth leader is hopeful because he’s been earning it for a long time. In fact, just last weekend he was the standout player in the huge 3-2 win 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 everything that comes with it emotionally we share. There are a lot of players and it could be anyone’s turn. It’s the coach’s decision, 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.