The craftsman who made the “fake” World Cup that Messi raised in Qatar: from the day Maradona called the Libertadores for Pope Francis

In 2016 River played the Cup Winners’ Cup against Santa Fe Independentone of the many trophies of the era of Marcellus Gallardo. still the conmebol round trip organized finals and the Millionaire they had drawn goalless in the first leg and won at the Monumental 2 to 1. Nothing new in these lines, but it is in the following ones: before the match at the Monumental there was no cup for the winner. From Asuncion they communicated with Eliana Pantano, artisan specialized in trophies: “You are the best, you have to do it”, they begged her. Some days later, Leonardo Pontius he was lifting the trophy that the woman had accomplished against the clock. Precisely her, who began to devote herself to this type of creations for the passion it generates in her Mouth.

Fan of Xeneize, he wanted to have a replica of the Intercontinental in his house. Even the Libertadores. And so it began, with resin as the focus of his works. Or so it continued: hers is a family dedicated to art and in 1968, long before she was born, her father took care of creating, with a technique similar to the one Eliana uses in her glasses, an aquarium in the sports city di Bocca, the unfinished dream of Alberto J. Armando. With his hands floats have been modeled for the carnivals of Corrientes, Gualeguay, Gualeguaychú and even Potro Rodrigo took one the day he played in Llavallol, where Pantano has his workshop where he works together with his brother, husband and three assistants.

With that lineage he reached the cups, the trophies. There is a replica of the Copa Libertadores in the Vatican museums: Marcello Tinelli bought him one and brought it as a gift to the Pope francesco, perhaps the Raven’s most famous partner. He has repaired the original Conmebol cups and has even shown the managers a miniature series, pure merchandising. But in the Continental Football Association one day they went from ‘you’re the best’ and ordering the cup they didn’t have, to ‘you’re a craftsman and that’s not what we’re looking for’. A Chilean company has taken over the business, also with the idea of ​​miniature souvenirs. She had to remove everything related to her from her social networks conmebol under an agreement between lawyers.

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. I say you never lose, that’s my motto,” he says today, with no official merchandising licenses for all clubs that were once champions of a Conmebol title, including all clubs Argentines who have ever lifted one of their cups.Four years later, Eliana has a six month waiting list for the flagship product: World Cup reruns.

They are so similar that Lionel Messi he distinguished them from the authentic one and his photo with one taken in Llavallol is the most viewed in the world. Before that, Diego Maradona she had hers and that moment hit her.

“There must be thousands of artists who, when they sell a work or when they are recognized, must experience great personal satisfaction. In my case, besides that, what happens to me is that personal dreams come true, due to the fact that I am a fan more than I am and was in football. So on a personal level It is very difficult to explain that Maradona wants and receives a product made by me… The truth that froze me was experiencing a magical moment that I never thought would come. I give it to him and I tell him: ‘in the hands of the true champion’ and he picks it up and says: ‘my hands still touch it’… In other words, when he says it and touches it as if it was the original cup and He he looks and says ‘oh what a beauty’… It is inexplicable to generate him into an idol. It’s really hard to explain it in words and today that it’s gone, even more so “, he recalls in a chat with clarion.

-The one who makes flip flops wrote to Messi and ordered it for everyone, did you write to him?

-I wrote to them, that they are deluded because they write billions and billions of messages and my account is not verified. The same 18 (December) as soon as he lifted the cup on TV, I realized that the cup he had was not the FIFA cup. The family that traveled didn’t know until the photographer contacted them, but I knew at the time. In that crazy moment I asked him not to take it wrong and I swore that this drink was what we had prepared. It is not read, but I wrote to him.

How did you arrive at such a level of detail? You’ve never seen the original…

-Always for photos and videos. What I did was look up photos, information on how big the Cup is and capture that measurement on the computer and take the photo at that measurement and gradually eliminate the differences in the aspect ratio of the rest. The photo of Diego lifting it gave me the angle to see the base. I was busy with photos and computer drawings on an airplane.

-How many world championships did you do?

-I don’t have a record of the amount because it’s not something that is produced. Every now and then a journalist, a player, a club for an event or something like that would come along with this specific request and it was done. The reality is that I was not in control… At the time, neither am I. Yes, due to the fact that with this fervor that has been generated, I’m making a list with the people waiting, setting dates and so on… I don’t know how many, but I’ve made quite a few.

-Any world champion among those who expect it?

-What (Alexis) Mac Allister brought to his reception in Brighton was done by us. We are very happy that you have decided to take one of ours among the many that have been given to you. Our idea, desire, intention and dream is that everyone, not just him, can hold the glasses we make in their hands. We are working, hoping and wishing that it is possible.

-What challenges come after the boom?

-I’m here for whatever is needed. In 2020 the Municipality of Lomas de Zamora declared my glasses of cultural interest. A few days ago they took her to a park so people could take a picture and again she was all in blue and white. The surprise for me was that people came to say hello. This has been a magical story, from my point of view: I started out of my fanaticism and desire to lift a trophy and 20 years later to get here… I’ve always behaved the same way: challenges present themselves to me. Now they have contacted me from some football museums and they offer me things to exalt this or that player. Nothing was premeditated and it happened. Things happen and dreams come true, but I don’t have a specific goal. I think there is no ceiling and go all the way.