Ricardo Gareca will debut as coach of the Chilean national team and the expectations are very great. The former Vélez will face Albania and France on the next FIFA date, which is why this Friday he announced the squad list. One of the big absentees is Ben Brereton Díaz, the English striker with a Chilean mother who became nationalized and is one of the great figures. When giving the reasons, “el Tigre” surprised everyone and gave an unexpected reason.
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At a press conference, Gareca was consulted about this situation and did not avoid the topic. “Ben’s thing is simply to look at other options, nothing in particular. “They are decisions that one makes, but they have nothing to do with him today,” he stated.
However, he revealed that one of the reasons is that he does not speak much Spanish: “I would love, within the conversation we had, for him to learn Spanish. It would be important”. Although it is a situation that is discussed in the trans-Andean media, the fans adore him and regret that he is not called up on this occasion.
Ricardo Gareca will debut as coach of the Chilean national team. (Photo: @LaRoja)
Far from cutting the topic, “el Tigre” expanded on the topic: “He has been called up two years ago, I think since the Copa América in Brazil. He has been called up and has had enough time to speak Spanish if there is really interest in being in the national team. Because that has to do with coexistence, day to day.”
“It caught our attention that he doesn’t speak Spanish well, because he represents the national team. It is not an impediment that Ben does not speak Spanish to be on the team. No. But I would like him to do it, because I consider it fundamental for communication on and off the field of play,” he added.
Ben Brereton will have to learn Spanish, or at least try, to be better valued by Ricardo Gareca in the Chilean national team. (Photo: Reuters)
Of course, this is not exclusive for Brereton’s call-up, but the footballer’s position will influence and Gareca made it clear. “To the extent that I see that there is that interest, our interest will be permanent. This will not diminish the chances of it being in the future, but now the decision is this. It is not conditioned. Yes, it is something that I told him personally, because I consider communication in Spanish with my teammates, with the coaching staff, with me, with the people and with journalism, essential to be in the national team. I hope there is a predisposition on your part to learn Spanish.”
Gareca’s history in the Peruvian national team with Gianluca Lapadula
Although this situation surprised everyone in Chile, Ricardo Gareca already made this decision with another nationalized player when he was in Peru. From the scouting department of the Peruvian team they had been following Gianluca Lapadula, Italian striker, and made a proposal for him to become nationalized.
After rejecting the proposal in 2016, in 2020 he accepted and the Tiger had a lot to do with it. To convince him he traveled to Italy, but he made only one condition: that he learn Spanish. After the talk, Lapadula was delighted by the Argentine coach’s treatment and agreed to take classes with his wife.
2024-03-09 03:00:42
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