Scaloni hails Benfica legend: “He played while injured” | OneFootball

Following the news where Nicolás Otamendi revealed that he had played his last home match for the Argentine national team, many personalities have spoken about the Benfica captain. Most recently, Lionel Scaloni, the coach of the Albiceleste, showered him with praise and shared a revelation about the number 30 of the Reds.

In an interview with the media from the Pampas country, the coach who led Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, made a revelation about the dedication that the 37-year-old center-back has for his country: “He played while injured, sometimes against the decision of his club [Benfica], and that says a lot.”

After explaining that these were not very serious physical problems, Lionel Scaloni mentioned that he intended to give Otamendi some rest, however, the athlete made him change his mind: “My idea was to let him rest, but I talked to him and, in fact, he deserved to play that match and deserves recognition.”

Despite being 37 years old, Nicolás Otamendi, so far, is the only ever-present player under Bruno Lage at the start of Benfica's official season, and Scaloni once again emphasized his influence on the South American team: “He is one of those who helped us a lot, not only in football but also in the group. Wearing this jersey means everything. For us, he is a very important player.”

“He didn't play in the last Copa América and was very important in moments when it was necessary to come in to defend when they were attacking [opponents], and that is part of his understanding of what it means to wear this jersey. Therefore, I think he will be remembered for everything he gave us and is one of the historic players who deserves all the recognition and, without a doubt, will be the captain tomorrow,” he added finally.

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