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hand in hand with Jorge D’Alessandro, the author of the viral that explains why Argentina was world champion

Jorge D’Alessandrowhen he talks, Flying. He starts developing concepts at full speed, jumps from 1960s football to the dynamism of the Argentine midfield and the 4-4-2, compares them, analyzes them, slows down, pauses. He asks if he is understood. And accelerate again. Shh, shh.

No one who has three stars embroidered on his chest could have missed his video, which first went viral and is now circulating as a meme on social networks. There appears D’Alessandro (still an Argentine accent, various Spanish idioms) debating with the panel of panelists from El Chiringuito, the frantic late night spanish soccer where the controversies are traded in that country. Similar to the old Soccer Show that Alejandro Fantino had here, but inflated with powerful anabolics.

In a minute and a half, D’Alessandro explains why La Scaloneta passed the rag to France in the Qatar final. No witches or coincidences. Vertigo, speed, a midfield that looks like Ferraris, a humorous mention of Bernie Ecclestone, the response to the mouthing of Kylian Mbappé, when he lowered the price of South American football. And the confirmation that we had simply been much better, in the face of a Europe that still did not understand what happened. The video blew up.

“The midfield changed its style. The 4-2-3-1, OUT; the double pivot, OUT. Brazil plays with Casemiro, OUT. Spain plays with Carrozas in midfield, OUT. “Vertigo won, football changed. The three midfielders from Argentina fly, fly. It’s another football, President. The pivot, what pivot? Argentina played with three boys who fly. And that’s what I have to analyse.” says D’Alessandro in his speech.

A little quieter, attend to Clarion from somewhere in Salamanca, in the middle of a break after the World Cup that is still being enjoyed here. There he reviews his history, which includes a title with undefeated champion San Lorenzo in 1972, one of the first transfers to football in Europe, his stage as ‘oncologist trainer’ . And the jump to TV.


Tsss, Tsss, the image that became a Meme after the drink.

-Here the video of yours with the analysis of the victory went viral. Especially after the controversy that arose with Mbappé, after the crossing with the Netherlands. It was lived quite like a revenge, how did you see it?

-I simply talked about soccer, the other is more a part of the show. Sometimes you can’t say as much as with a metaphor and the thing about the Ferraris was key to what Argentina was. I heard few people make that analysis, no one had given the key to what happened. And it was not by chance, because eight years ago Messi dragged himself into Brazil and had a reason. It’s not Messi, it was the reading of the game. Argentina made a strategic play and a very modern football.

-Since you got into the controversy, what was the difference between the 2014 team and the 2022 team?

-The engine room. Without identity, led by Javier Mascherano, Lucas Biglia, Éver Banega. One was a trucker, the other was a touring car, there was no game identity. Then it is impossible for the ball to reach its destination with discretion. Argentina did not dominate any match, it was only at the expense of the great strikers we had. But it was practically totally wasted. I think the key was the midfield because it lacked creativity, talent and, above all, football criteria.

-And what has changed now?

This happened magically. Because if I had put Lo Celso or Papu Gómez on, we would be in more of the same, slow and tendentious football. Argentina was the best in the World Cup because of its engine room, the midfield was different, recovery, rhythm. The goals in which Mac Allister participated, Enzo Fernández, the wear and tear of De Paul. And Guido and Paredes in the stands, where they should be, because they are two elephants. The identity was given by three flyers.

-He won it then with the midfield…

-Oh, and you can’t play with more than one midfielder, who in Argentina was God, who plays in lane 8 with peripheral vision for his left foot. You can’t play with two like Messi. Papu Gómez does the same being right on the opposite side, but in slow motion. And up two planes, which are the boy Julián Álvarez phenomenal, phenomenal, a dizzying speed, and Lautaro, who would have been the 9th in the World Cup but the failures sentenced him.

An origin in Avenida La Plata, a career in Europe

D'Alessandro, defending the arch of San Lorenzo
D’Alessandro, defending the arch of San Lorenzo

With a past as a coach, a career in sports journalism and even a cameo in the movie Torrente 5, D’Alessandro’s career was born cutting through the little arches that formed near the Excursionistas field. There he was seen by Florencio Doval and Diego García, who took him to the lower divisions that San Lorenzo had on Avenida La Plata.

“It was a golden age of the San Lorenzo of my life. It’s a crazy thing. We had a tremendous quarry. La Plata Avenue, the smell of the stands, the buffet, it was a liturgy. That stadium was football, I have not seen in my nothing comparable in life, I know all the stadiums in the world, but never anything like that field”, he remembers from his beginnings.

He played 59 games for the club, although he failed to establish himself as a starter. He participated in several tours of Europe. (“Those were the times when we went and won,” he remarks), There, in the Old Continent, Salamanca executives saw him and they signed him.

Jorge D'Alessandro, on goal in San Lorenzo, playing in Europe.  (D'Alessandro File)
Jorge D’Alessandro, on goal in San Lorenzo, playing in Europe. (D’Alessandro File)

It was 1974, the first year that the window for foreigners in Spanish football was reopened. With a newly promoted team, D’Alessandro was the least beaten fence that tournament defending Salamanca.

Since his time as a player, he says that he was half a coach, that he talked about tactics with Osvaldo Zubeldía. That’s why when hanging up the gloves he put on the DT diver. He directed Figuerés for two years when the journalist José María García hired him to accompany him as a commentator in the early 1990s. His career in the media and as a coach were almost in parallel.

“I earned a lot of money as a commentator, almost more than as a coach. Six million people listened to us on the radio. And I was losing the profile of a field coach. But that gave me a contrast, This is very important. I trained from the radio because my work was educational, analytical to the listener, I explain? I did not count the obvious, that a uncle He hit him crosswise with the right. That was what the narrator said. I explained why the ball had arrived, why it had been a triangulation on the right and the 8 had sought to uncheck,” he says as he distributes concepts at the speed of light.

D'Alessandro with Diego Maradona (D'Alessandro Archive)
D’Alessandro with Diego Maradona (D’Alessandro Archive)

According to what he continues to say, at some point in that career his profile turned to DT, a specialist in the relegation zone. He saved Atlético de Madrid twice and Salamanca once. For that latest achievement, a street in the city is named after him.

the football show

D’Alessandro is one of the ‘tertulianos’ (read ‘panelists’) of The Chiringuito de Jugones, which is broadcast at midnight in Spain and feeds on the eternal controversy offered by the Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry or its derivatives, such as Cristiano Ronaldo-Messi. It is a show in its purest form: shouts, discussions, cameras that move quickly like full-backs projecting to attack.

With social networks erasing the borders of countries, some of the controversies stung among Argentine tweeters. Like the wild criticism against the National Team for the celebration after eliminating the Netherlands. Or the bank to France, before the final. There were some in favor of Bluesothers wishing that Lionel would raise the glass that he finally did.

Josep Pedrerol, driver of El Chiringuito, together with D'Alessandro
Josep Pedrerol, driver of El Chiringuito, together with D’Alessandro

For example, the hyper-Madridista Juanma Rodríguez intertwined in networks against Argentina and begged that the Croatia of Luka Modric (10 of Real Madrid), put four to the Scaloneta. He was close. Or when Spain was left out with Morocco, where The Twitch link to see El Chiringuito live was flying on Twitter Argentina. Pure popcorn.

Even on a show designed for controversy, D’Alessandro prefers to dribble confrontation. He says that he does not get involved in that part and that he is not interested in responding to what his colleagues say about him.

“It’s a new product, the rivalry causes the success of the program, always the yin and the yan. But I don’t talk about that, I don’t like it. It’s not that I want to be different, but I don’t get into that. Argentina changed world football I am proud to have been the first to say that The key to the champion was not Messi, but that (Gio) Lo Celso and Papu were injured. With that I killed them all. And that is the only truth. What does it matter to me that one has said that he wanted Argentina to lose? “She shoots.

-You said that you thanked Mbappé for provoking the South Americans. Was it surprising in Europe that Argentina won the World Cup?

-Mbappé passed three towns when he said that we were all tractors. I think he was wrong. And yes, he was surprised because we did what they did before. Run, play fast, I do not know if you understand me. One of my phrases is that Argentina was champion for having a European midfield, a frenetic pace. And that puzzled them. And Messi, the best player in the world, so that he can turn on whenever he wants.

-What is the key to the final?

Why did France fail? put the batteries. He plays with two pivots: Tchouameni and Rabiot and they want to put Griezmann pivoting. What’s going on? Enzo Fernández throws Griezmann at him and our two midfielders pair up with their double pivot, De Paul and Mac Allister. And then what happens? That we had Messi fluctuating as a midfielder with each movement and played alone. He’s still alone in Qatar and Deschamps didn’t detect him, sir. Messi is alone! Do you listen me?

D'Alessandro, with the Ferrari-type steering wheels that went viral
D’Alessandro, with the Ferrari-type steering wheels that went viral

-In other words, he won the midfield and that’s how he resolved the game…

-Argentina killed France through midfield, over France’s 4-2-3-1 Argentina played a 4-3-1-2, the three midfielders basically crushed them. And with Messi who played as a midfielder in a space that Messi invented, lane 8 fluctuating. Do you visualize it? close your eyes.

-Beyond what was seen on the networks, how did you personally experience the consecration of the Selection?

-I lived it in ecstasy. I don’t know those who take burundanga if they have such a strong state of excitement. It was the greatest thing I had in my life… I don’t know, I can’t explain. He had nothing to do with the result, he had significance with football and the game. Something like an Argentine and like an Argentine outside of the country. There is a revolving effect, nostalgia makes you more transcendent. There I never see Argentina world champion again. You don’t think about them, but they are there.

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