"Living a dream": Senesi's emotional reaction to World Cup call-up | OneFootball

At 29 years old, Marcos Senesi will experience his first World Cup. The center-back broke his silence on TyC Sports after being called up on short notice by Lionel Scaloni to join the Argentina national team, taking the place of the injured Leonardo Balerdi. “Honestly, I’m very happy to have the chance to fulfill a dream I’ve always had, which is to play in a World Cup,” he confessed emotionally. He then added about his imminent arrival at the Albiceleste camp: “Right now, I’m finishing packing everything up and getting ready to travel as soon as possible. See you soon.”.

The reasons behind Scaloni’s decision

Balerdi’s withdrawal due to a muscle tear forced the coaching staff to carefully analyze the alternatives. Although Scaloni considered the names of Guido Rodríguez and Emiliano Buendía, he ultimately opted for a natural center-back.

According to what was reported to TyC Sports, the coach’s decision was directly linked to the squad’s medical situation:“Nicolás Tagliafico’s minor injury and Leandro Paredes’s positive recovery led the Argentina manager to choose the newly signed Tottenham center-back.”

A vacation on alert and a leap forward in Europe

The national team call-up caught Senesi while he was enjoying a few days off with his girlfriend in Ibiza, Spain. However, the player never interrupted his physical routine because of a double demand: the lingering possibility of a last-minute call and the start of preseason with his new club, scheduled for July 10. Earlier, after the end of the season in Europe, the center-back had waited for the initial squad list in Miami and, when he was not included in the original roster, traveled to the Spanish island.

This World Cup finds Senesi at the best moment of his career,“and no longer as a Bournemouth defender, but as Tottenham’s newest signing, having been unveiled by the club last Wednesday.” The defender is coming off a spell as one of Bournemouth’s standout players and leaders, a club with which he had a great Premier League campaign, finished sixth, and secured qualification for the Europa League.

His outstanding performances, backed by 129 appearances and six goals over four seasons, attracted the interest of European giants such as Barcelona. However, he joined Tottenham as a free agent, where he will share the heart of defense with another Argentine, Cristian Romero, Spurs captain and his next defensive partner at the World Cup.

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