Dibu Martínez and the speech he received before the penalties against France: “Go ahead and close it, we’ll win it”

The Argentina national team Y France 3-3 draw in the final of world from Qatar 2022, after extra time not for the faint of heart. The I drew Martinez He just covered a tremendous one-on-one against Randal Kolo Muani at the end and penalties are coming. Before the executions from the twelve steps, a review of European footballers is made. Martino Tocallithe Albiceleste goalkeeping coach, meets the Argentine goalkeeper and tells him: “Go close it, we won the shortcutAfter the order, the 30-year-old from Mar del Plata gets under the three sticks and puts on his show. The end of this story is already known.

This is one of many sequences that happened during the World Cup final that are only now coming to light. In dialogue with the radio program Things as they arereleased by Radio FM 89.9 always with youAlbiceleste’s goalkeeper training manager since 2017 explained about the confidence of Aston Villa’s 1: “He was very convinced, he always feels like a winnerhe feels he can do it well, I think that’s part of what helps him end up having that performance. Trust is essential, especially in the goalkeeper“.

Martín is the son of Hugo Tocalli, former technical director of Argentina’s youth divisions and also former assistant coaching staff of José Pekerman. A passion that flows in the blood. In the interview he retraced the moments before the penalties against France: “At that moment we first spoke about the issue of the players, who were left on the pitch quickly to review, and then I told him (Emiliano Martínez) what I felt that it was quiet, it’s your time, close it, I trust you, close it, everything will be fine“, She said.

He added: “We had already talked about them not having the penalties we’ve seen, like Coman, then I guess there wasn’t much more to say, I felt really comfortable and confident in him, so I said to him go close it, as if to say go and save that we have won”.

Tocalli, who has also been coordinator of the AFA goalkeeper department since 2020, is only now “getting down to reality” and trying to “have some fun”. Just 6 days have passed since the consecration and the emotion is still intact.

“Emotions end up being, for the players and for us, absolutely decisive,” explained the goalkeeping coach. And, speaking of the millions of Argentines who took to the streets to celebrate, he added: “They told us what was happening here in the country but we were so focused on what was ours that logically only when we arrived, when we were on the bus and seeing people, we really got the dimension of what Argentina was at that time”.

In the bunker of the Argentine national team, at the University of Qatar, there was little time to celebrate after each victory: “We were very concentrated on what our job was, we could celebrate for 2 or 3 hours what was a stage change and then we were already thinking about the next rival, we all had to be up to that situation, because in that moment the players on the pitch have to be above emotions, that’s what makes the difference”.

Martín Tocalli, who started as part of Jorge Sampaoli’s works team but continued in his position once Lionel Scaloni took over the reins, recounted in the radio interview what his first encounter with the first team was like: “Emi loved it I know since 2011, I worked here in the national team that year too, we went away to Nigeria before the cup, Oscar Ustari got injured right there in Nigeria and Emi had played the U17 World Cup, in that Nigerian visa was needed at the moment. “.

“Oscar broke down the afternoon before the match, Emiliano could have saved us, he traveled because at that moment he was in Mar del Plata on vacation. That was the first contact. From there, I as a football fan and more than the goalkeepers” L ‘I have followed him, I have always followed him throughout his career, we have several names who always follow him and when you believe that this goalkeeper is up to being close to us you have to mention him, with Emiliano it happened”. .

And, on the personality of the man from Mar del Plata, he said: “Above all, Emi is a beautiful person, very good peopleIt’s easy to work with him because he wants to grow day by day, because he wants to be better and he makes things easy for you. We explained to him what I want, that we have to give everything, I think he felt identified with our work, with everything we explained to him and from that first meeting he understood that he had to earn his place”.

“And time marked that we made that decision that he started playing at that moment thanks to him, not because of Armani’s covid at the time as they say, he earned it because he came with a very high level at Arsenal and we believed it was Emiliano’s time.”

“Working with him is easy, he makes it easy every day because he has a good atmosphere, Emiliano is what you see, he doesn’t hide anything, it’s him, you can like it or not. There are those who may like that shape more or less, but Emiliano shows himself as he is”.

Even after the unexpected opening defeat against Saudi Arabia, the atmosphere behind the scenes was always positive at group level: “There was always a good atmosphere throughout the World Cup. After the Saudi match, the reaction the following day was calm, confident“, he clarified.

“It seems to me that this was a show of character, a show of pride in knowing that you had to win every game with that pressure, with what everything means in Argentina, what Leo’s World Cup was. A thousand things that were there in that backpack they knew how to carry and it seems to me that from then on day after day we had the peace of mind that things could work out, without being sure because this is basically football and anything can happen. For me, the group and the coach given the confidence that we could write a good story,” he stressed.

When asked about the expression on Aimar, who lost his temper after the 1-0 defeat against Mexico and let himself go with emotion, he said: “He expressed in that moment everything that came after him, the match with Arabia, what we were playing, expressed it in that cry, in that face that we saw.

And he specified: “The pressure exists, the emotions exist, generally we have to control those emotions because it is what ends up being decisive for our actions and the actions of the players, but logically there Pablo had that expression which was what we all they only felt that he did it with a few tears but the joy was there”.

On Lionel Messi’s leadership, Martín Tocalli underlined: “Both the technical staff and I like Messi’s leadership, I like the shapes, I also liked Maradona’s but Messi gives you peace of mind, gives you security, so many sensations that we within the group gives us that path that must lead. Messi is a natural leader, a Messi who has done very, very well for the group and the coaching staff, not only his presence but his way of behaving which also gives him security and tranquility. Captain Messi enjoyed himself, at least since I returned to the national team in recent years I have been able to enjoy this Messi captain, leader and it is no coincidence that everything that has happened has happened.”

The Albiceleste goalkeeping coach considers the I drew as the best on the planet: “The number 1 in the world is Emiliano, he proved it, he did a great World Championship, of course he is on the podium. It’s difficult afterwards, I think Lloris could also be on the podium, not surprisingly in 2 World Cups, 2 finals, he maintains good performances, great games with few mistakes. Between Emiliano and Lloris they are the best goalkeepers in the World Cup.”

“I like Bono’s style, I think he’s one of the most complete savers. In the case of the Croatian goalkeeper, he was decisive on penalties, he saved the balls well,” said Tocalli.

And, speaking of the world champion goalkeeper, he underlined: “I don’t see in Emi a style that resembles any other Argentine goalkeeper, it seems to me that he has a good impression of him, technically good, things he has that perhaps other goalkeepers in the last years they didn’t have it and he maybe doesn’t have some characteristics that others have had”.