There are footballers who they last very little in Argentine soccer. At the beginning of the year 2023 there were two emblematic cases that emigrated to the English Premier: Facundo Buonanotte, 18 years old, offensive midfielder, barely played 34 games at Central; and Máximo Perrone, 19 years old, central midfielder, in less than a year he defended the Vélez shirt 33 times. Both have a future in the National Team and were called up by Lionel Scaloni for the next friendlies.
There are other players who play a couple of years in our football, go to a world league and then come back. they come and go. The last report on Argentine soccer players abroad carried out by the AXEM Soccer Players project recorded, in May 2022, 4,864 men and 149 women.
Others, on the other hand, they fight inside. Always in Argentine soccer, in the First Division, in the AFA Promotion, in the Federal. They hardly traveled abroad to play an international match. Most of them are over 30 years old and each one has their own story.
Claudio Corvalán, left back and captain of Unión, is one of the 10. In dialogue with Clarionconfesses that it was a life choice: “I had offers but I decided to stay here because the times I was able to leave I was well at the club that was in all aspects. Both football and financial”.
The issue of playing abroad is something that footballers talk about. Corvalán assures that “most of the time they talk about it and especially today with the dollar issue. The possibility is better from the economic point of view. Before it was not like that, unless you go to Europe. I tell them that to go abroad they have to be comfortable and better than at the club that is there to perform better and adapt faster”. But beyond experience (33 years) and captaincy, the youngest sometimes listen and sometimes don’t: “Today there is also a lot of influence from the representatives. It will depend on the player and what each of them wants.”
All the data arises from the analysis of the Clarín Interactive Guide with the 28 campuses updated until Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
1) Luis Miguel Rodriguez (472)
El Pulga could have followed the path of Buonanotte or Perrone. At the age of 18, he spent three months in Europe, was close to Inter, was a figure in a tournament in the Canary Islands and aroused interest in Real Madrid. He even got stranded in Bucharest, Romania. His path always continued in the country, especially at Atlético Tucumán, where he became the second player with the most caps (325) and the second goalscorer (130). From Federal A to the First Division and the Libertadores. He later played at Newell’s, Colón, Gimnasia La Plata and now at Central Córdoba. He has played 185 League games, 51 Cup games and 39 internationals, plus 196 that he played in the promotion categories. In addition, he played a game in the National Team, in 2009, with Diego Maradona as coach, against Ghana.
2) Luis Yamil Garnier (448)
Entrerriano, from Concepción del Uruguay, is in Sarmiento but has not yet added presences in the current tournament. He started at Atlético Uruguay in his city, then went through Tiro Federal de Rosario, Juventud Antoniana de Salta, Racing de Córdoba, a first stage in Sarmiento, Colón and since 2017 again in Junín. He achieved 4 promotions, where he played most of his games: 395. In the First Division he has 44 League games and 9 Cup games. He is one of the five players aged 40 or over in the current tournament.
3) Carlos Martin Arce (440)
The midfielder is a history of promotion football and Barracas Central. He is 32 years old and barely played 28 league games and 9 cup games with Guapo in the First Division. The other 403 matches were in promotion football, first with Muñiz, then with Puerto Nuevo and since 2009 at the AFA president’s club, in which he became the player with the most caps in history.
4) Milton Casco (419)
The current River left-back played in only three clubs. He always in the First Division and only one season in the Second Division, with Gimnasia La Plata, a club where he made the lower ranks and made his debut in 2008. He then went through Newell’s and since 2015 he has been with River. He was champion with Leprosy in the Initial 2013 and with River he won another 10. At 34 years old, he has 246 League games, 57 National Cups and 82 internationals. In addition, he played 31 games in the First National and three in the National Team, two with Tata Gerardo Martino and one with Lionel Scaloni.
In February 2022, his representative Eduardo Palomar confessed: “Milton’s contract expires in 2023, he chose this, he had proposals from abroad and decided to stay. Everything is very simple at River”
5) Mauricio Lollo (384)
The central marker is 35 years old, he made his debut with Belgrano de Córdoba in December 2007 in the then Primera B Nacional, rose with El Pirata and later played in other Argentine clubs, always in the First Division: Racing, River, Banfield and now in Estudiantes de La Silver. He accumulates 194 league games, 54 in national cups, 24 international and 112 in promotion. He was champion once with Racing and 6 with River.
6) Carlos Gustavo Quintana (371)
Another central marker who has just turned 35 and who made his debut in the Primera de Lanús in the Apertura 2007, a tournament in which he celebrated his first title. Later, he spent a season with Huracán and returned to Garnet. He then spent four and a half seasons in the B Nacional, with Douglas Haig from Pergamino, Patronato de Paraná and Talleres de Córdoba, with whom he rose to First Division. Then, Argentinos Juniors, again Patronato, champion of the 2022 Argentine Cup, and now in Rosario Central. He has played 162 league games, 50 in national cups, 31 international and 128 in promotion.
7) Claudio Corvalan (362)
The Union captain already gave his testimony for this note. He chose to stay in Argentina forever. He was born in Quilmes and in his city club he made his debut in the First Division on April 25, 2009 against Independiente Rivadavia de Mendoza (2-2). He was promoted in 2010 and after a year in the top flight, he returned to play one more season in the B Nacional and was promoted again. Later, he has always been in the First Division with Racing, Newell’s, Arsenal and Tatengue since 2018. He has made 224 appearances in League matches, 43 in national cups, 23 internationals and 72 in promotion.
8) Maximilian Rodriguez (359)
The 34-year-old midfielder has a long history in the old tournaments called Argentino A and B, and in promotion football. He started at General Paz Juniors in Córdoba and went through Bella Vista in Bahía Blanca, Independiente de Neuquén, Talleres de Remedios de Escalada, Deportivo Riestra and now in his second stage at Barracas Central. He played 330 games in the promotion and he has 19 in the First League and 10 in National Cups.
9) Lucas Adrian Hoyos (336)
The only goalkeeper on the list, who after 12 years returned to the club where he made the lower ranks: Newell’s Old Boys from Rosario. On the way, he passed through San Martín de Tucumán, Gimnasia de Jujuy, a second step through La Lepra, Instituto, Atlético de Rafaela, again La Gloria and Vélez. Without titles in his career, he has 104 league games, 51 in national cups, 23 international and 158 in the Ascent.
10) Ciro Rivers (331)
The current striker for Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero was born in Rosario 34 years ago, trained in football at Villa Ramallo and then moved to the youth ranks of Argentinos Juniors, a club with which he made his debut in the First Division in February 2009. He then played for Godoy Cruz , Aldosivi (in National B), Defense and Justice, Lanús, Rosario Central and Atlético Tucumán. He was a local champion with Argentinos in the Apertura 2010 and international with Defensa de la Sudamericana 2020 and Recopa Sudamericana 2021. He accumulates 236 league games, 39 national cups, 33 internationals and 23 in promotion.
