Guido set to become Valencia’s 40th Argentine in official competition | OneFootball

Guido Rodríguez, 31, is set to become Valencia’s 40th Argentine in official competition on Sunday against Real Betis, the club that first brought him to Spain in 2020.

According to AS, Valencia are continuing their rich Argentine lineage. Corberán would like him to become, as a Mestalla song puts it, another immortal youngster, yet that would demand an extension beyond 30 June, the expiry of the deal he signed yesterday.

The lineage runs through icons from Argentina, foremost Mario Alberto Kempes, who propelled Valencia to another level in the late 1970s and is regarded as the club’s most significant foreign player. Argentines are the most represented nationality at Mestalla after Spaniards.

Guido will be the 40th in official matches. There were also seven Argentines who only featured in friendlies, among them Alfredo Di Stéfano, who lined up against Vasco de Gama at Mestalla on 22 May 1955 alongside Faas Wilkes.

Arriving in January, he bolsters a midfield that was not fully rebuilt after compatriot Enzo Barrenechea’s summer departure, and becomes the second Argentine in Corberán’s current squad after Lucas Beltrán. He follows winter arrivals who left a mark, such as Pablo Aimar and Enzo Pérez.

By official appearances, Roberto Fabián Ayala leads on 253, ahead of Kempes on 246, Aimar on 216, Mauricio Pellegrino on 213 and Rubén Valdez on 210. Ciberche data completes the top 10 with Ever Banega on 185, Piojo López on 180, Pablo Piatti on 162, Dario Felmán on 161 and Kily González on 138.

Source: AS