“When they gave me the news that I was on the list I was extremely happy. It’s something I work towards every day, playing in the Argentina national team and even more to be in a World Sub 20. It’s a great pride and a reward for all the sacrifice we’ve made since I was very young.” Valentine boat speak in the plural and when it says “we have done” It includes his entire family, which was (is) essential for him to achieve his dreams in the form of the number five ball.
Mom Patrizia and dad Walter took care of picking it up and carrying it, 450 kilometers round tripevery week since then May 25thhis hometown in Buenos Aires after staying there Mouththe club that the Barco family (complete with Marianela, his older sister) are fans of.
Gradually, the court Sportsman May 25th, where he dribbled past rivals with the 10 on his back, was left behind to paint his future in blue and gold. Not without sacrifices. Not without complicated days where you had to invest the few pesos you had in your pocket for the journey and also giving up something to eat.
Today, at 18, he color reap all that sowing. hand in hand Jorge Almiron won the ownership of xeneize and this is about to play his first World Cup with Javier Mascherano’s Sub 20. Sitting in the shade of the trees of the Ezeiza property and before boarding the plane for the World Cup adventure, this sensational left-back, who knew how to be a prostitute in his pre-teens, chats with clarion of all that.
-It is said that when a player walks through the stadium gate for the first time, many things about his career go through his mind, what happened to you?
-A lot of things… From my beginnings, my family, everything we fought for to get first to an institution as big as Boca and then to get here, to the national team, which is the best and even more for the Argentines who experience football differently. Thousands of things went through my head. And from the day I crossed the threshold of the facility, I decided to do my best to always be there.
-What do you remember about your first steps?
-We have always made a great sacrifice, we are very humble. We always try to reach the Primera de Boca and now luckily I have succeeded. We are looking forward with my family. We are committed to being able to get to training for the school theme every day.
-How did you manage the times?
-We trained in the afternoon and I went to school in the morning. I would retire an hour or two early to be able to train. I got home at ten or eleven in the evening and went straight to sleep to start early the next day. I did it for three or four years. It was bullshit. He came to Boca three to four times a week. The journeys were long. My old woman told me “let’s prepare the mate and go”. We ate in the car before training because my mom brought me lunch. Today I thank you very much because you have made a great sacrifice so that I can be where I am today. We always remember what we have been through and it is good to keep that in mind. We look back to appreciate all that we have done. But I also look ahead so as not to relax. If we go that far, we can go further.
– How are you managing all this present?
-I fought for a long time to reach the First Division. And for that I am very grateful to Almirón because since he arrived he has given me the opportunity. I try to give him back the trust he gives me on the pitch. I was preparing myself physically, tactically and psychologically for when the time came. When that happened, I had to take advantage of it.
-You made your debut at 16 with Miguel Russo, but you had to wait two years to get the chance again. How did you work mentally during that time?
-With my family more than anything else. With my girlfriend, Agostino. They are the ones who listen to me and the ones who are always there in good times and in bad times. I always support myself and take it out on them, they put up with me. So I can be calm and pressure-free when it’s my turn to enter the pitch.
-How do you feel about the exhibition?
-Everything multiplies. But I try to do what I have to do on the pitch and keep calm, with a low profile.
-How was the process of switching from hook to left side?
-In a game against River, his left side was injured and there was no substitute in that position on the bench. There was Diego Martínez, who is now the coach of Tigre. He put me on three at that time and I performed well. He was in Kids. And in the lower divisions I rotated, sometimes I played as a winger, sometimes as an inside midfielder, but then I was fixed on the wing.
-Did you like being a winger at the start or did you want to continue as a hook?
-I’ve always taken it responsibly and it’s a position I liked too. Now I already got the taste for a while. My style is to be more offensive, I always try to attack and that’s what I do best.
-Did it cost you or were you able to adapt quickly to this position?
-It costed me. It cost me due to brand issue. I’m diligent in this, huh. When I was playing high I also enjoyed one-on-one duels. I had to work a lot, mostly on profiles because I like to score one-on-one. It was a process of adaptation because I had to go from always attacking first to defending and then attacking. Nowadays full backs are offensive. It is used a lot for attacking from the outside and for lateral finishes. And I always try to contribute.
Does representing Argentina in this moment of so much fury for the World Cup have another flavour?
-The World Cup was something unique. It hadn’t been for a long time. Winning was unique, those celebrations didn’t take place on the other side of the world. After winning it, we now have to play the Under 20 World Cup and it’s something special for us. We will try to achieve the goal.
-How did you experience the World Cup?
-With my family, suffering a lot. I suffer a lot from matches, I was quite nervous but always confident of being able to win. We used to get together as a family to see it, with my or my girlfriend or all together. Cabala, everything. Fortunately they worked ah. They have given us enormous joy.
-Do you feel that this World Cup is in the country as a pressure to have an extra obligation or be local, will it work in your favor?
– Playing in Argentina is an advantage. We have the people who represent us. I don’t take it as pressure, but as something in favor. People will support us and we will try to give it back to them.
-There are 9 of the 21 mentioned who were in South America, can what happened affect the group?
-NO. The South American affair is over, it’s over. These are things that can happen. This group is very nice, very united. We always talk to each other about what our World Cup should be, that we all need to move forward to achieve the bigger goal.
-What does Mascherano ask you?
-Everyone knows what Javier means for the national team. He always talks to us and gives us so many tools. He asks me to defend first, but he likes me to attack, he wants us to be protagonists.
-Do you see the 2026 World Cup as a personal goal?
-Now I think about this World Cup which is about to start and it is our main objective. I just think about that. It is obvious that we always set long-term goals and playing a World Cup with the First Team would be the best.
Il Colo Barco Ping-Pong: his hobby outside football, the dream he has and what the Under 20 national team is for
-An idol: Messi.
-A player in your position: I always looked at Marcelo.
-A dream: to win this World Cup, a Libertadores and a World Cup with Mayo would be the best.
-Play Station or Trick: both, but the game a little more.
-An hobby: I really like paddle tennis, when I can play and I’m good enough, ha.
-Funniest Sub 20 teammate: Lukita Romero and Agus Giay.
-The most serious companion: Spin.
-The Sub 20 is for…: win the World Cup.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.