Argentinian club rename stadium in honour of Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi | OneFootball

Club Sportivo Pueyrredon, an amateur football team in Argentina, have renamed their stadium in honour of their former player Leonardo Balerdi (26) to mark their 92nd anniversary.

The Olympique de Marseille centre-back and Argentina international started his career as a child at Club Sportivo Pueyrredon before joining the Boca Juniors academy, the club where he would eventually make his professional debut. From Boca Juniors, Balerdi would move to Borussia Dortmund in 2019 before joining Marseille in 2020. Last summer, Balerdi was given the captain’s armband by Roberto De Zerbi.

The club stated on Instagram, “The decision to rename the stadium seeks to immortalise the figure of Balerdi, serving as an inspiration for future generations of young athletes who dream of success in football.”

Balerdi, who was on international duty with Argentina, was unable to attend the inauguration of the stadium now named Estadio Leo Balerdi, but the club revealed that his grandparents were present. Balerdi played in both of Argentina’s friendlies during the ongoing international break. He was a substitute for the 1-0 victory over Venezuela, and started in the 6-0 win over Puerto Rico.

GFFN | Nick Hartland