Conflict with Julián Malatini in the Under 23s: the Pre-Olympic could be lost and Mascherano cannot replace him

From the hand of Javier MascheranoTHE Argentina Under 23 team He trains thinking about his debut in the Pre-Olympic, scheduled for January 21st against Chile, in Venezuela. However, less than ten days before the scheduled date, a conflict occurs with the player Giuliano MalatiniFrom Defense and Justicesparked a conflict with the AFA and puts his presence in the tournament at risk.

The AFA has made known the situation that the 22-year-old young man from Córdoba, who emerged in Talleres in that province, is going through. According to what was reported by the offices of the Association chaired by Claudio Tapia, Malatini would be about to be transferred to a German club, which would complicate his move to Venezuela.

With 84 games played in the First Division, a remarkable experience considering his young age, the long central goalscorer, 1.90 meters tall, is a fundamental piece in the defense of the squad that Masche has put together with a view to qualifying for Paris 2024.

In its statement, the AFA exposes not only the player but also his representative and the Defensa y Justicia club, underlining that it has carried out the negotiation “unilaterally” without informing the Association, taking into account that Malatini is a few days away from having to face a tournament with the national team.

There it turns out that the player has been absent since Thursday, and that his presence at the Pre-Olympic will depend on the goodwill of his new club, whose name has not been revealed but would be the Werder Bremen. It is also explained that if Malatini is not authorized to travel to Venezuela, Argentina will not be able to replace him with another player because the regulations no longer allow it.

Beyond this headache, Mascherano is preparing his team for the competition which will formally begin on January 20th and end on February 11th.

Argentina, which will travel on January 17, has been included in Group B, in which it will face Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. The Albiceleste debuts against Albirroja on January 21st; on the 24th he will play against Peru; On the 30th they will face Chile and on February 2nd the first phase will end against Celeste. In Serie A, however, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador will play

The AFA press release