Regresos (SPA-ENG)

Returns

Recently, an unusual phenomenon in Argentine football has surprised us: the return to the country and to local teams of very important players, some of them world champions in Qatar 2022.

It is true that throughout the rich history of our local football, there have been repatriations of very important players, generally those who, having reached a certain age that suggests a decline in their performance, returned to play their final years in the land of their birth and success. In some cases, they left already famous and established as stars of the sport; in others, generally very young, with plenty of talent to demonstrate, they triumphed and gained recognition abroad.

Various returns

Some notable examples from the more or less recent past are Javier Mascherano, Diego Milito, Carlos Tevez, and Fernando Gago. There are others, but I don't want to bore you with a long list. All of them are respected, some very beloved, and successful at their respective European clubs, such as the emblematic case of Tevez, who decided to return to Boca Juniors at the height of his fame and his game as captain of Juventus in Italy. Carlos Tevez is the Argentine with the second most titles behind Messi; his trophy cabinet includes the gold medal in Athens 2004, the Intercontinental Cup, the Champions League, and the Libertadores de América, among many other achievements.

However, all of these great players have a pending debt: they were never able to be crowned world champions in the top flight with the national team, an achievement that, in the eyes of our fans, becomes the ultimate expression of triumph and consecration. This is the difference I wish to highlight with these recent cases.

In recent times, there has been the curious fact that several members of that legendary 2022 team, including some who still play there, have decided to return or are at least in talks with local teams in pursuit of that goal.

To River

Gonzalo Montiel is the first and perhaps the least known internationally. Here he is famous and beloved. He played a prominent role in the penalty shootout that decided the third World Cup star, converting the final penalty against French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The right-back played for Sevilla and Nottingham Forest, returning this year to wear the River Plate jersey, the club where he was trained. Montiel is only 28 years old, so his return to Argentine football is somewhat surprising, where salaries don't compare to those in the old continent.

To Boca Juniors?

A second member of the national team is in advanced negotiations with Boca Juniors. It is 31-year-old midfielder Leandro Paredes, a world traveler in football, one can say. From Boca Juniors, he moved to Chievo Verona, then to Roma, Empoli, Zenit St. Petersburg, Paris Saint-Germain, then to Juventus before returning to Rome. Now there's a strong possibility that he'll sign a contract with Boca Juniors, the club where he first came into his football career. Paredes has demonstrated consistency and determination in every match that coach Scaloni has played him in. He's not a transcendent player like some others, but his importance in distributing the play, displaying his physical ability, and scoring goals cannot be denied. He will surely bring greater character, balance, and leadership to a Boca Juniors team that is going through a very difficult time. A great gamble by the current management that hasn't proven itself up to the task of one of the two most important and winning teams in the country.

The most relevant

And finally, a great star of the white and sky blue firmament, an extraordinary player who has earned the respect and admiration of the entire football world for his conduct and his extraordinary ability as a player and scorer, Angel Di María returns to the club of his love, Rosario Central. The 37-year-old forward announced his retirement from the national team at the end of last year during the national team's consecration as champion of the Americas for the second consecutive time. However, he continued playing for Benfica of Portugal until their elimination from the Club World Cup, which is still being played in the United States of America. There, "Fideo" converted four penalty goals, becoming one of the tournament's top scorers.

Surprisingly, Angel Di María announced his signing by Rosario Central, the club where he grew up as a footballer and an arch-rival of Newell's Old Boys, the other team from Rosario, province of Santa Fé, where, ironically, Lionel Messi, his main partner in the national team, began playing.

Wearing the Argentine jersey, Fideo Di María had a brilliant performance, winning the U-20 World Championship in 2007, the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics, the Copa América in 2021, the World Cup in 2022, the Finalissima in 2022, and the Copa América in 2024.

The great striker has had a long and fruitful career in Europe where he played for several of the continent's top teams: Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint Germain, Juventus and Benfica again. Now he returns to represent a team from his country and his birthplace, a farewell, the closing of a circle, he returns to the place where it all began and if possible, he will win the only title he is missing: to be a champion with Rosario Central.

For our country, the return of some of its top stars in the sporting world is a significant step forward. It will give some standing to local tournaments, which are in a difficult period, diminished by the enormous drain caused by losing emerging young talents, players who leave in search of a better future, tempted by salaries and benefits that are impossible to obtain here. It's an evil that plagues our football, although this ignites a glimmer of hope. Perhaps some others will follow the example of these athletes who have decided, for whatever reason, to return and give back to their homeland some of what they achieved in other distant countries.