Javier Mascherano announced his retirement from football after the match that Estudiantes lost 1 to 0 against Argentinos Juniors in La Plata. At the age of 36, the Jefecito said no more, and joins that of another historical one who hung up the boots earlier this month: Fernando Gago, in Vélez.
So were Masche’s words: “I want to announce that today I am retiring from football professionally. Today I played my last game. It is a decision that I had been thinking about. It is time to finish my career, because of feelings I have, because of things that have happened to me in these months, which on a personal level, having thought about it all this time, is to finish today. Especially because I lived my profession 100%, to the maximum that I could. And today I find that it has been hard for me for a while And I do not want to disrespect students, which was the club that trusted me for my return, my colleagues or this profession that has given me everything. Basically I wanted to advertise it so there is no speculation whatsoever. This has nothing to do with the club, or with a result,it has to do with feelings that one had at this time. That illusion that one had, of being a footballer, is fading. I came back after a pandemic, I thought that I was going to feel that illusion again, all that made me who I am and the truth was I couldn’t. Out of respect for everyone, today is the time to step aside and end this race . I did not want to let time pass so that there is no speculation. I want to thank all the clubs, the coaches, the teammates that I had throughout my career. I want to thank this club that gave me the opportunity to play in recent times, unfortunately they were less than I wanted . Sometimes you don’t choose the end, you end up giving yourself.Also thank Chavo to all my colleagues for having put up with me all this time. I wanted everyone to know by how they have treated me in this time. “
Javier made the announcement next to his coach, Leandro Desábato. His return to Argentine soccer was the beginning of the year. His stage at Pincha was short because the coronavirus pandemic prevented him from playing the number of games they wanted, just once between the League and the Argentine Cup. “They are personal things, there is not much more to say”, declared Desábato after Masche’s words.
Javier. Then it passed Corinthians, West Ham, Liverpool, Barcelona and Hebei Fortune of China. In addition, the Jefecito played four World Cups, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Thus, together with Messi and Diego Maradona, he is part of the group of Argentines with the most World Cups played.
Mascherano against Argentinos, his last game (Fotobaires).
Masche in his last game (Fotobaires).
Mascherano in his last game, against Batallini (Argentine press).
The Santa Fe had a strong peculiarity: he debuted in the National Team before in River, since Marcelo Bielsa called him up for the friendly against Uruguay, in La Plata, played on July 16, 2003 at the Ciudad de La Plata stadium (2 to 2). At that time the Engineer Pellegrini directed the Millo. Later, coach Leonardo Astrada gave him ownership over an emblem like Matías Almeyda, and with the Band he won the Clausura 04. In 2005 he went to Corinthians, where he was champion of the Brasileirao although without continuity due to an injury. Then he joined West Ham, also with Carlos Tevez. But his best version was shown at Liverpool, where he stood out to the point that in 2010 he was bought by Barcelona, then under the command of Pep Guardiola. At Culé he got tired of winning titles: five Leagues, five King’s Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, two Champions League, two European Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
In Catalonia he is remembered a lot for a play against Arsenal, for the Champions League 10/11, when in the round of 16 he cut off an attack by Bendtner, which then allowed Barsa to pass the series by 4 to 3 on aggregate. At the end of that story, Pep’s team was champion.
He is the footballer with the highest number of games, 147, in the history of the National Team, although in this we must contextualize that until the early 90s the Qualifiers were in groups of five teams and that in the 80s the Copa América was played again.
It was fixed for Pekerman, then Basile respected the position, like Maradona who considered it from the base. Batista and Sabella also considered him untouchable, like Tata Martino and later Patón Bauza. And Sampaoli had it and took it to the World Cup in Russia when he was already playing in China. He won two Olympic medals: Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
Undoubtedly, the strongest image of his journey in the National Team was the cut to Robben, in the semi of Brazil 14, when with the match 0-0 he stretched to avoid the triumph of the then Netherlands. In that game, before penalties, a phrase to goalkeeper Sergio Romero was immortalized: “Today you become a hero.”
He’s already a hero …
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