Of ours, the best: the 10 players with the most games in the Argentine league and who have never played abroad

There are players who they last very little in Argentine football. At the beginning of 2023 there were two emblematic cases who emigrated to the English Premier League: Facundo Buonanotte, 18, playmaker, played just 34 games at Central; and Máximo Perrone, 19, central midfielder, defended the Vélez shirt 33 times in less than a year. Both have a future in the national team and have been called up by Lionel Scaloni for the next friendlies.

There are other players who play a couple of years in our football, go to a world championship and then come back. they come and go. The latest report on Argentine footballers abroad made by the AXEM Soccer Players project recorded, in May 2022, 4,864 men and 149 women.

Others instead, they fight inside. Always in Argentine football, in the First Division, in AFA Promotion, in Federal. They have hardly traveled overseas to play an international match. Most of them are over 30 years old and each has its own story.

Claudio Corvalán, left-back and captain of Unión, is one of the 10. In dialogue with clarionhe confesses that it was a lifestyle choice: “I had offers but I decided to stay here because the times I was able to leave I felt good at the club which was in all respects. Both footballing and financially”.

The question of playing abroad is something footballers talk about. Corvalán assures that “most of the time we talk about it and especially today with the question of the dollar. The possibility is better economically. That wasn’t the case before, unless you go to Europe. abroad they must feel at ease and better than at the club that is there to do better and adapt faster”. But beyond the experience (33 years) and the captaincy, the younger ones sometimes listen and sometimes they don’t: “Today there is also a lot of influence from the teams. It will depend on the player and what each of them wants.”

All the data comes from the analysis of the Clarín Interactive Guide with the 28 campuses updated up to Tuesday 7 March 2023.

1) Luis Miguel Rodriguez (472)

El Pulga could have followed the path of Buonanotte or Perrone. At 18 he spent three months in Europe, was close to Inter, was the protagonist of a tournament in the Canary Islands and aroused interest in Real Madrid. He even got stuck in Bucharest, Romania. His journey has always continued in his homeland, especially at Atlético Tucumán, where he became the second player with the most appearances (325) and the second goalscorer (130). From Federal A to the First Division and the Libertadores. Then he played at Newell’s, Colón, Gimnasia La Plata and now at Central Córdoba. He played 185 league games, 51 in the cup and 39 in the national team, plus 196 played in the promotion categories. Furthermore, he played a match for the national team, in 2009, with Diego Maradona as coach, against Ghana.

2) Luis Yamil Garnier (448)

Entrerriano, from Concepción del Uruguay, is in Sarmiento but has not yet entered any appearances in the current tournament. He started at Atlético Uruguay in his hometown, then went through Tiro Federal de Rosario, Juventud Antoniana de Salta, Racing de Córdoba, a first stop in Sarmiento, Colón and since 2017 again in Junín. He achieved 4 promotions, where he played most of his games: 395. In the First Division he has 44 league games and 9 cup games. He is one of five players aged 40 or over in the current tournament.

3) Carlos Martin Arce (440)

The midfielder is a history of promotion football and Barracas Central. He is 32 years old and has barely played 28 league games and 9 cup games for Guapo in the First Division. The other 403 matches were in promotion football, first with Muñiz, then with Puerto Nuevo and since 2009 at the AFA president’s club, where he became the most capped player in history.

4) Milton helmet (419)

River’s current left-back has only played for three clubs. Always in the First Division and only one season in the Second Division, with Gimnasia La Plata, a club where he made his lower league tables and made his debut in 2008. He then moved on to Newell’s and has been at River since 2015. He was champion with Leprosy in the Initial 2013 and with River he won 10 more. At 34 he has collected 246 league games, 57 national cups and 82 internationals. Furthermore, he played 31 matches in the first national team and three in the national team, two with Tata Gerardo Martino and one with Lionel Scaloni.

In February 2022, his representative Eduardo Palomar confessed: “Milton’s contract expires in 2023, he chose this one, he had offers from abroad and decided to stay. Everything is very simple at River”

5) Maurizio Lollo (384)

The central scorer is 35 years old, made his debut for Belgrano de Córdoba in December 2007 in the then Primera B Nacional, grew up with El Pirata and later played for other Argentine clubs, always in the First Division: Racing, River, Banfield and now at Estudiantes de La Silver. He amasses 194 league games, 54 domestic cups, 24 internationals and 112 in promotions. He was champion once with Racing and 6 times with River.

6) Carl Gustaf Quintana (371)

Another central scorer who has just turned 35 and who made his Primera de Lanús debut in the Apertura 2007, a tournament in which he celebrated his first title. Subsequently, he spent a season with Huracán and returned to Garnet. Then he spent four and a half seasons in B Nacional, with Douglas Haig del Pergamino, Patronato de Paraná and Talleres de Córdoba, with whom he was promoted to the First Division. Then, Argentinos Juniors, still Patronato, champion of the 2022 Argentine Cup, and now at Rosario Central. He played 162 league games, 50 in domestic cups, 31 international games and 128 in promotions.

7) Claudio Corvalan (362)

The Union Captain has already given his testimony for this note. He chose to always stay in Argentina. He was born in Quilmes and in the city’s club he made his debut in the First Division on April 25, 2009 against Independiente Rivadavia de Mendoza (2-2). He was promoted in 2010 and after one year in the top flight, he returned to play another season in B Nacional and was promoted again. Subsequently, still in the First Division with Racing, Newell’s, Arsenal and Tatengue since 2018. He made 224 appearances in league matches, 43 in national cups, 23 in the national team and 72 in promotion.

8) Maximilian Rodriguez (359)

The 34-year-old midfielder has a long history in the old tournaments called Argentino A and B, and in promotion football. He started at General Paz Juniors in Córdoba and went through Bella Vista in Bahía Blanca, Independiente de Neuquén, Talleres de Remedios de Escalada, Deportivo Riestra and now in his second leg at Barracas Central. There have been 330 games in the promotion and he has 19 in the First League and 10 in National Cups.

9) Lucas Adrian Hoyos (336)

The only goalkeeper on the list, who after 12 years returned to the club where he made the lower leagues: Rosario’s Newell’s Old Boys. Along the way, he passed through San Martín de Tucumán, Gimnasia de Jujuy, a second pass through La Lepra, Instituto, Atlético de Rafaela, again La Gloria and Vélez. Without titles in his career, he played 104 league games, 51 in national cups, 23 international and 158 in Promotion.

10) Ciro Rio (331)

The current Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero striker was born in Rosario 34 years ago, trained football at Villa Ramallo and then moved on to the youth academy of Argentinos Juniors, a club with which he made his debut in the First Division in February 2009. then played for Godoy Cruz, Aldosivi (in National B), Defense and Justice, Lanús, Rosario Central and Atlético Tucumán. He was local champion with Argentinos in the Apertura 2010 and international with Defensa de la Sudamericana 2020 and Recopa Sudamericana 2021. He has amassed 236 league matches, 39 national cups, 33 international and 23 in promotion.