Javier Mascherano revealed what Marcelo Bielsa told him in his sincere embrace: “It is a source of pride and joy.”

A moment before the initial whistle of the Colombian referee Jhon Ospina they kicked off the dizzying 90 minutes which ended with a 3-3 draw between Argentina AND Uruguay by the last date of group B of pre-Olympic football which is held in Venezuela, two old acquaintances joined in a warm embrace which sealed a long-awaited reunion: Javier Mascherano AND Marcelo Bielsa.

Even if the bond between the two was not extremely fluid, according to Mascherano after the meeting at the Misael Delgado stadium in Valencia, the mutual affection was evident in that gesture that united them shortly before their first meeting as coaches.

“I had spoken to him from time to time, but I hadn’t seen him for a long time. Being able to face him as a coach, after having had to face him once as a player, is a source of pride and joy. “He is the coach who gave me the opportunity to play for the Argentine national team.”Mascherano said.

The coach of the Argentine Under 23 team, who will compete in the final phase of the Pre-Olympic from Monday in search of one of the two tickets to Paris 2024, revealed the content of the brief dialogue he had with the team’s driver Blue skywhich was eliminated from the competition.

“He wished me the best. “Marcelo is a person who loves me very much, like many players he has had, and he is a person who often shows you this affection.”said the former midfielder.

Bielsa was the coach who made Mascherano debut in the senior national team when the River player had not yet played a single match in his team’s Primera: it was 16 July 2003 in the 2-2 draw against Uruguay in the inauguration of the Unique City of La Plata Stadium. At that time, the player who would later play another 146 games with the Albiceleste shirt was just 19 years old.

Mascherano was not the only member of the Argentine delegation to have had an affectionate meeting with Bielsa on the night in Valencia. The front Francisco Gonzálezwho played his first minutes in the Pre-Olympic on Friday, did a truly exceptional job and scored the Argentine’s third goal, also brought with him a pleasant memory of the day.

“I met him today, I’m very happy. (I feel) great admiration, I told him it was an honor to play against his team, to meet him and hug him.”shared, very emotionally, the footballer from Newell’s, the club where Bielsa were champions of the 1990/91 tournament and the 1992 Clausura. Furthermore, the striker said that the coach had asked him for his shirt and that he he had given it to her as a gift.