“I dream of playing in Italy” – Corriere.it

Mateo Retegui immediately said yes to Roberto Mancini, repaying his trust with two goals in the two matches at the end of March, against England and Malta, valid for the Euro 2024 qualifiers. He says he doesn’t like to talk a lot, but he does – and well – in the opposing penalty areas. 2022 top scorer in the Argentine Primera Division with 19 goals, this year he is still leading the scorers with 7 goals. The last one, last Sunday at 99′, gave to his Tiger a 2-1 win over Lanus. In short, he has no intention of stopping. He comes from a family of field hockey champions: his father won three medals at the Olympics, his sister one, his mother also played at a high level: «My grandparents too. Before finally choosing football, I also played hockey, in reality I love any sport, training, going to the gym. I could have been a hockey player, for two years I stopped playing football, then it appeared Diego Mazzilli, a scout from Boca Juniors, who one day saw me playing football on the beach and asked me if I wanted to audition», Retegui said in an interview with the «Gazzetta dello Sport».

The present is now Tigre, he plays here on loan from Boca Juniors: «The contract is for two years, but last November Boca had the option to ask me. But no one was heard. When training resumed at the end of December, I spoke to Diego Martinez (the coach), telling him that the Tiger for me it’s more than a club and that, unless the club accepted an offer from abroad for economic reasons, I would have liked to stay. Then in January, just before the start of the championship, Hugo Ibarra (Boca coach until a week ago) told me that he was already interested in me for this season, but I had already given the floor to Tigre ». Then the national team appeared: «One day at the beginning of the year I was returning from training and dad called me to tell me that he had very important news. But I never imagined something like this, not even in the most beautiful of dreams I could have thought of playing for Italy, in Naples, in the stadium that bears the name of Diego Armando Maradona. As soon as dad told me that Mancini wanted me, my yes came very quickly, there wasn’t much to think about. Did I talk to the coach? No, only my dad did. With Robert we then talked a lot in Coverciano, above all about tactics and how he intends to play. I have to thank him, all the coaching staff and my team mates for the way they welcomed me and made me feel. I never imagined I’d experience this.”

Debut at Maradona with goals, despite the defeat against England: «It’s hard to explain, but it was wonderful. Better Maradona or Messi? Both. I have not experienced Diego’s story as a player. I met him playing the Clasico with Estudiantes when he was the manager of Gimnasia, we won 1-0 with my goal. I scored many, but for me that remains the most important goal of my career. I took a nice picture with Diego that day, even if he wasn’t exactly happy. But I can’t choose between him and Leo, they are the two greatest in history”. Meanwhile, Retegui studies Italian, he wants to improve more and more. The roots of him are from Canicattì, in the province of Agrigento: «Does the mayor want to give you honorary citizenship? No, really? I find out from her now. Beautiful, I’d be proud. When I go back to Italy, I want to visit those areas. How did they take it in Argentina? They were all very happy. Well, there may be those who didn’t take it well, but in general they are happy with this opportunity. For me it is a pride, for my family too ». The dream is to play in Italy and in Europe: «I really like the idea, it’s a dream for all those who play football, the greatest are in Europe. Inter? There’s nothing concrete and I don’t know what’s going on, it’s dad who’s taking care of the future. My head is 100% on the Tiger. In which league would I like to play? Where is best for me. I would love to come to Italy, but it’s still very early. But it would be wonderful to become a protagonist of the championship, one who scores many goals. How I would like to score many also for Italy, one of the most important national teams in history».