Ramón Díaz and his key role in Argentina’s defeat: 9 of Saudi Arabia’s starting 11 play in his squad

The defeat of Argentina national team it was a shock. For their own and for strangers. A blow to the team Lionel Scaloni at the debut of Qatar World Cupwhich he will try to reverse in the next two games against Mexico Y Poland to qualify for the round of 16.

And now let’s talk about the amazing Saudi Arabiawho impressed by turning the score around and winning the game against Messi’s team 2-1 at the Lusail stadium in Qatar with a great tactical work, very well planned.

The French Herve Renard He lectured on the old save tactic to leave the Argentine team in advanced position 10 times and pressure work in midfield which was very well executed.

But behind the 54-year-old Frenchman, who has nearly twenty years of coaching experience, is the aura of a renowned and famous Argentine coach: Ramon Diaz.

Ramon is the coach of 9 of the 11 players which started in Saudi Arabia against Argentina. And in total there are 12 of them on campus. They are the players of Al Hilal, a team that the boy from Rioja has been leading since last year and in which he had already been between 2016 and 2018.

Except for the first central scorer, Hassan Altambakti and midfielder Feras Albirakan, the rest of the players (Mohammed Al Owais, Saud Abdulhami, Ali Albulayh, Ali Albulayh, Abdulelah Almalki, Salman Al Faraj, Mohammed Kanno, Salem Al Dawsari and Saleh Al -Shehri) who were executioners of the Scaloni group are under the guardianship of the La Rioja.

Under Díaz in charge, Al-Hilal won the Saudi Professional League this year (after beating Al Ittihad by 16 points) and the Arab Super Cup by beating Egyptian side Zamalek on penalties on 10 September. Where is it? At Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Yes, in the same one where Arab footballers made history by defeating the Argentina national team this Tuesday November 22nd.

Ramón, winner of 15 titles, is in second place on the podium of the most successful Argentine coaches, together with Carlos Bianchi (15) and Marcelo Gallardo (15), one behind Helenio Herrera (who, despite being born in Argentina, left from the very small country to Morocco and subsequently forged himself as a footballer and coach in Europe) -16-. And in Saudi Arabia, the man from La Rioja made the revolution of him. To the point of providing its players with resources and tools.

Along with his coaching staff (consisting of his son Emiliano, who was in Qatar watching Argentina-Arabia, the “Malevo” Ferreyra, as principal assistants; the Brazilian Diego Pereira as physical trainer; and Damián Paz and Juan Romanazzi, as video analysts), it empowered those footballers who transferred their game to the Arab team. Indeed, Renard took over the Al Hilal base and assembled his team with almost the same men that Ramón directs on a daily basis.

“We know these players, we train them every day and we have a great squad. We knew they could complicate the Argentina national team,” said a member of Ramón Díaz’s coaching staff. clarion.

And Ramón, 63 years old, with all his experience behind him, a mischievous and wise footballer like few others, predicted to the Arabs that they could invent a surprise. “He told me that he thinks we will draw in the match against Argentina,” Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Football Federation, told La Nación.

The bump was even bigger than Ramon imagined. And aside from the pain it must have caused him as an Argentine, surely the man from La Rioja will have let out his trademark “heh!” when he spoke to Al-Misehal again after the game.