When Tokyo 2020 falls, the new Olympic cycle begins for Los Leones, which is seventh in that event and will never repeat the golden celebration of Rio 2016. And in Paris 2024 as the final goal and the World Cup in India, which will be played in January 2023, as the next big goal, Mariano Ronconiteam coach since September 2020, has launched another initiative: he began working with two national teams, a local and a “European”, to further expand the senior team base and make the most of the young talent that emerged lower future levels.

That “movement” did not respond to an idea or it was raised as a particular project, but it was developed as a result of various situations, as the former Quilmes player said. Clarion from Valencia, where this weekend he will play two games against Spain on the new date of pro-league. And he has already opened the doors of the national team to 17 new players, who have debuted on the senior team so far this season.

“When we started the process, the Los Leones players signed contracts with their European clubs and it was hard to ask them to change everything. So, we empathized with them and respected their contracts. But the Pro League dates, which are set in conjunction with important dates in European tournaments, so the idea is to enlarge the base and build a national team “European” including those playing abroad and most beginners, and another local, including some from Los Leones who live in Argentina (the captain King Matthias, for example) including all juniors. That way we had two selected teams training at the same time and we could meet Pro League dates, regardless of that time, ”Ronconi explained.

Although that is not the only motivation of the coach. His experience as the leader of the minor teams – he has been the coach of Sub 21 for eight years – realizes to him a reality experienced by juniors who want to jump on the senior team, as happens with many in the Leoncitos last December they were world champions.

“When you finish your junior stage, there’s a huge space to make the immediate jump to Los Leones. And if you’re left with the system because it still doesn’t give you the piné to be a leonthat gap widens, because the player trains at the club, he is not in constant rhythm and it becomes increasingly difficult for him to be called again. This idea of ​​the local team also came from there. Try to make the gap between junior and senior shorter and shorter and imagine the future. Beyond the fact that a player is still lacking in being a Lion, understand him as a future Lion for his technical and physical qualities and keep him in the process. So, when he plays, he will take care of the task and it won’t be quite complicated, “he commented.

For the project to work, DT and his coaching staff were very clear with the young people called to the local team. Although the door is open to everyone, that team knows very well what they are training for.

“It’s very important to be very clear with all the callers so as not to generate any false expectations. We told the callers that ‘You’re going to be the local team, you’re here to train and for this and this competition.’ Face to face and there. fact After the rivalries in South Africa and France for the Pro League, the next goal of this local team is the Odesur Games (NdR: they will be held in Asunción from October 1 to 15), ”Ronconi said.

“We have been training with this team for two months, in double and triple shifts to accomplish the task. The most important goal is that, whatever the name, the structure will not collapse. Play both, with and without the ball. And we’re excited because that was achieved in the last few games, beyond the fact that we had positive results, ”he reflected.

“On those dates there were some of the“ European lions ”who came to cooperate, like Nico Cicileo, Nacho Nepos, Joaquin Coelho Y Nicholas Acostaand they were amazed at how good these people were and how energetic they were, ”Ronconi recalled.

The coach also stressed the support of the leadership Argentine Hockey Confederation This is very important, because he understands that in this process of juniors growth, some defeat may appear on the scoreboard.

“We know we might miss some Pro Legue dates, because we treat it as a training platform. We want to be champions and win all the games, but it’s not something that worries us or motivates us. This is an incredible tournament that we are playing against the best rivals in the world and we will use it, on the one hand, to get to the World Cup in the best way and, on the other hand, to train the boys , play., make mistakes and continue to be shaped as Lions “.

The debutants

“From the time we started the process of concluding the Tokyo Olympics until now, A total of 17 men made their Lions debut. It’s a lot. And in fact, in Pro League games with South Africa and in France, 70 per cent of the team is made up of men who have never played, ”Ronconi detailed.

In that double window, played last two weekends of April at CENARD, the Argentine team had three wins, one against France (4-2) and two against South Africa (4-3 and 2- 1 on penalties, after drawing.2-2) and 2-0 defeat to the Gauls.

In matches against the African team, they made their debut Philip Merlini, Facundo Sarto, Capurro Baptist, Francis Druzyuk, Franco Agostini, Max Kiernan Y John Ronconi, son of DT.

“It was so beautiful and so emotional to see John come in. He was always in the process and always in one thing or another he couldn’t make his debut. He was on the roster for Junior Pan American, but one of the guys got Covid and everyone left in the squad.Sometimes, a month before the list for the Junior World Cup was announced, he tore himself three times in the same place and was left behind because he couldn’t even walk.He couldn’t.But always I insist on this: Juan He is still a player. From the line to the inside, he coaches me, not his father, “Mariano recalled.

The small group of players joined one who had already seen the action for the first time in the early dates of the tournament: Nehuen Hernando, Facundo Zarate, Joaquin Puglisi, Ignatius Nepos, Joaquin Coelho, Tobias Martins, Tadeo Marcucci, Lautaro Ferrero, Santiago Binaghi Y Tobias Silvatti.

Now, while Ronconi and his assistants are in Europe for the matches to be played by the “European” team, the boys from the local will continue to train three times a week with their clubs and such. of many others with a physical -focused maintenance plan, leaving them with DT.

“Error is a part of the learning process, not a demonstration of incapacity. That’s why, even if they can make mistakes, what we want is for these guys to add filming. Not only in terms of experience, but in terms of the number of training sessions with their colleagues at the national team level, because it all raises their level ”, Ronconi stressed.

Lions and lions in the field

The team led by Mariano Ronconi will play this weekend against Spain in a new Pro League double date. In Valencia, they can clash with locals, on Saturday and Sunday, at 11:30 in our country.

“The games are going to be very tough and we want to make the most of them. Not just in terms of sports, but everyone together, players and coaching staff, and talk and breathe hockey 24 hours a day. , something we don’t give much to, ”Ronconi said.

The Lions were third with 19 points, behind India (27) and Germany (20).

Also in Valencia and against Spain will play Las Leonas, who will play on the field on the 8th on Saturday and Sunday, before the men’s presentation. Fernando Ferrara was also third, with 18 units. First is India (22) and second is the Netherlands (19). s