Roberto Trotta: why he would not return to Vélez today, Argentina’s opportunities in Qatar and his meetings with Maradona at 4 am

Life has changed for Roberto Trotta. He left Argentina during the pandemic and moved with his whole family to Florida. Even though he never completely left. He knows football, in particular Estudiantes, the club where he made his debut and scored it when he arrived from Pigüé. Nor does he forget Vélez, where he reached the top of America and the world, beyond the media shocks experienced in recent years.

That brave central defender, who also wore the jerseys of River, Racing and Union in Argentina, as well as Roma in Italy, among others, today is dedicated to passing on his experience as a point of reference. After all, Trotta has always had a strong personality and was a captain. The most intense memory of Liniers returns his image of him by lifting the Intercontinental Cup in 1994, when he scored a penalty against Milan.

The 53-year-old former footballer works in Miami, but his role is much more understanding than managing a football team. With a past at Independiente Rivadavia de Mendoza, Almagro, Universitario de San Luis and Sarmiento de Junín, he now lectures on leadership and group dynamics. And from the United States, the stubborn talk to Clarione.

– Why did you go to the United States?

-I came on vacation at the time of the pandemic for my family. And being here they gave me a couple of projects in football, I took advantage and stayed. There are many things to do in the United States.

-Are you tired of the atmosphere of Argentine football or the country?

-No, I never got tired of the Argentine football atmosphere. I know him very well and I know how he is. The one thing I always hope, and hopefully someday, is to have the opportunity to run the First Division. The same goes for the country. The same thing has always happened. There have been bad moments and others less so, but our Argentina has always been like this, cyclical.

-What do you miss about Argentina?

-She misses very much meetings with loved ones and friends. Today technology makes it easier, but it’s not the same.

– Do you watch our league matches?

-Yes, I see, I try to always be aware of what is happening. Things are always learned and our football gives for analysis.

-Is it true that we have the most difficult championship in the world?

-Yes, it is difficult, but also super competitive. I always say that any Argentine coach can drive in Europe, but no European coach can drive in Argentina. We are prepared for many things, good and bad, and for me this allows us to adapt faster.

-If the students called you, would you come back?

-If you call me Students, I will return to the boat if necessary. Of course? Not only that it would satisfy my great desire to direct Primera; but it would also be in my house. Estudiantes is the club that gave me the opportunity to be a pro and I hope it happens someday, but whether it happens or not, I will always be grateful to the club.

-You said for a long time that you are sorry for your statements against Vélez, when you treated them as loving, would you do a tour of Liniers today?

-Yes, I always say it and repeat it: I’m sorry for what I said or for what happened, but for me the topic is already closed. No, I wouldn’t go around Liniers, haha ​​… Less now, with such a low leader class he has.

-The last antecedent of Vélez with Flamengo is that of the ’95 Super Cup, that of the slap of Zandoná in the face of Edmundo. How do you rate this match?

Yes, I remember it very well. First, because they gave us a nice ride. Here and in Brazil. And of course the best thing was Chino’s caress, hahaha. It’s a difficult game, they have a great squad and a great team, but football always offers surprises. Velez can be one.

-Can Vélez be Libertadores champion?

-Yes you can. It is something very similar to what we have experienced, with very good Brazilian teams, which were the favorites, but we came out as champions with Vélez.

-What do you think about the incorporation of Diego Godín?

-He is a player of great quality and temperament, he is a great addition. He will be useful to Vélez for the Copa Libertadores and, above all, to the boys who will play alongside him.

-How do you see the national team at the World Cup?

-I see you much better as a team, we no longer depend only on Messi and this is important for me in a World Cup.

-Who is the best Argentine football defender?

-I like Cristian Romero. And locally, Agustín Rogel of Estudiantes and Paulo Díaz of River.

Your leadership role

Trotta has worked for Soldiers FC and Homestead FC, 18+ teams. He’ll soon be joining another project that, he says, he can’t talk about yet. Based in Pembroke Pines, 30 kilometers from Miami, he lives with his wife María Antonia and 3-year-old son Máximo. “You live well, I’m half an hour from the beach,” he says.

-Do you find more pleasure in leadership talks than directing football?

-No, more pleasure than coaching football, no. But it’s easy for me to chat and convey what I’ve done in all my years as a player and captain.

-What does your job consist of?

-In conveying to the coaches what they may not have innate and what is not learned in the books.

-How do you lead a group?

-The management of knowledge and skills, beyond technical and professional talent, generates added value to our function. This allows us to build working groups with high quality and social responsibility.

-What message do you send to the coaches?

-When we position ourselves at the head of the work teams and have the responsibility to lead a group, the dynamics with which the team is managed generates additional strength. It is important that we technicians understand that optimizing the functionality of the equipment promotes the integrity of the group. This will have direct consequences on the results we will get, no doubt. And for this the efficient and effective participation of the whole group is necessary.

Trotta has a project that is aimed primarily at professionals. “As technicians we always ask ourselves: ‘How can I not talk to the people on my team?’ If I maintain no communication with those accompanying us in the pursuit of the stated goal, ‘How will I achieve the goals?’ And some early answers are difficult to argue. You have to take care of this, take care of the team and keep them comfortable and have fun with the people involved. In this way we can work in harmony, improve the sense of belonging and promote a good working environment ”, she analyzes.

-Do you think players identify with their coaches?

-In general, we identify with those who lead our career. And everything is related to the group dynamics we talked about. We technicians must identify the behavior, personality and profile of each of the members of the squad to improve the performance of each of them because this result improves the level of the team and is one of the keys to success. If everyone is motivated, everyone will strive to achieve the goals and that profile will translate into what we will achieve. This ability develops and the starting point goes beyond the technique, around the concept and motivation of each person, of each professional. Those of us who are responsible for this type of project, no doubt, must feel and understand what the key is to advance in this new phase of our professional career.

-And who has been the guide of your career?

-Carlos Bilardo, Eduardo Luján Manera and Carlos Bianchi have been my inspiration as coaches. And as players I have always admired Daniel Passarella and Franco Baresi.

Maradona and tennis

When Diego headed to the UAE, Trotta was his assistant on the pitch. “The work experience in Dubai was excellent, the matter of working with Diego was complicated for me. Although the relationship was very good, not so with his assistants. It was very difficult to try to work. El Negro Enrique was not one who worked too hard, ”says Robert, as his friends call him, about his participation in the coaching staff of Maradona, which lasted 6 months at Al Wasl.

And he tells an anecdote, of his haste to close the interview to go and play tennis, a sport he has practiced since he retired as a footballer. “Diego wanted to play tennis and he called me at 4 in the morning. ‘Doesn’t it seem very soon?’ He said. The problem is that the temperatures are high and there aren’t many other possibilities. And there you had to go and gather with him, “he recalls with a laugh.