Undisputed at Benfica, Otamendi gets people talking: “He’s a player…” | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni, Argentina's coach, does not hide his admiration for the dedication that Nicolás Otamendi has for his home country. When asked about the captain of Benfica - who announced his last game for the albiceleste - the helmsman decided to highlight the important role that the 37-year-old defender has played.

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

After explaining that these were some physical problems, not very serious, Lionel Scaloni said he intended to give Otamendi a 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 have played that match and deserves recognition”.

Despite his 37 years of age, Nicolás Otamendi, so far, is the only player to have played every game for Bruno Lage at the start of this official season for Benfica and Scaloni again stressed his influence on the South American team: “He is one of those who has 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 did not play in the last Copa America and was very important in the moments when he had to come in to defend when they were attacking [opponents], and that is part of his way of understanding what it means to wear this jersey. Therefore, I think he will be remembered for everything he gave us and he is one of the historic players who deserves all the recognition and, without a doubt, he will be the captain tomorrow”, he finally added.

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