In 2009, concentrated on Guadalajara and when he still defended the colors of the Pachuca, Christian gimenez received a surprise phone call in his hotel room, which he responded in a bad mood, because ihe interrupted his customary afternoon nap.
On the other end of the phone was Diego Armando Maradona, then coach of the Argentina selection and who died this November 25, 2020. He woke up the Chaco to invite him to join the Albiceleste team for the first time for two South American qualifying matches against Colombia and Ecuador.
“I remember the first day he called me on the phone. I was focused on Guadalajara, my phone rang and I didn’t know what he was going to call me. I (answered) very moody because I was taking a nap; normally I turn off the phone and that day it didn’t turn off because I left it loading”, He spoke in an interview for Mediotiempo.
“The phone rang and I answered half moody and asked who was talking and he said: ‘Diego’, and I said ‘What Diego?’, ‘I’m Diego Maradona‘, and couldn’t believe it. Per second something got in my throat from not being able to speak. Later he invited me to be part of the Argentine National Team in South American qualifying matches ”.
El Chaco, who did not play a single minute with the Argentine team and later wore the jersey of the Mexican team, he remembered the first time he was in training under the orders of the Fluff and what he said to motivate him, since I saw him tense and nervous.
“It was to arrive and see him, see Messi. In one of the first training sessions I was tense and nervous, he approached me and told me to free myself, to let my game flow and that I was there for something ”, he commented.
Although this moment was the closest with Maradona, the Chaco Gimenez, today coach of the Cancun FC of the Expansion League, said that it was in the lower Boca Juniors when he saw him for the first time and even had the opportunity to train with him, already in the last days of Diego Armando’s career as a soccer player.
“There was a moment when he trained with Ben Johnson and we, who were boys from the lower ranks, were going to help with the balls, to bring him the water. There are videos where we are working with him”, He added.
“I had to train one or two days with him. I was very young and he was in first, while I was in third. Every time we played soccer I had to be like this, but never live together like when I was in the National Team ”.
This is how he received Maradona’s death
Finally, El Chaco told how he received the news of the Maradona’s death, who this Wednesday died of a cardiorespiratory arrest.
“I was with my daughter in a class and my wife comes and tells me and it generated a feeling in my chest of sadness. I know him, I was with him a long time ago, but everything he represents for all of us who play soccer, for all of us who had the opportunity to meet him is very regrettable. I feel like I am a family member”, He concluded.
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