Alejandro Fantino was an effusive fan of the Argentine national team led by Lionel Scaloni and enjoyed the Copa America won in Brazil against the local team. More for the DT than for the albiceleste achievement, which beyond beating the classic rival in his homeland cut a drought of 28 years without titles at a higher level. However, this Tuesday he released a strong confession that generated a stir in the networks and some took Leonidas de Pujato as a “betrayal”, as he called the Argentine coach.
It is known that Fantino is a fan of Boca Juniors and the Spanish journalist Mister Chip summoned him to chat on his Twitch channel to talk about the Xeneize (1-0) win in the Superclassic this Sunday at the Monumental Stadium. The driver described his “love” for the blue and gold team and revealed: “I give you that Argentina is eliminated in the second round of the next World Cup as long as Boca is champion of the Copa Libertadores.”
Fantino is a strong defender of the process in charge of the Santa Fe coach, especially when he was the focus of several criticisms for not finding a good overall performance, which after the Copa America started to show off and reached an undefeated 29 matches. However, his love for Boca, whom he recounted for a decade, could do more.
Fantino always benched Scaloni against his detractors who did not forgive him for having his first coaching experience in the Argentine national team, with all that entails and after the failure of Russia 2018 and the bitterness in other official tournaments.
Even in his program on ESPN, when Scaloni was invited, Fantino performed a kind of ritual with the DT to whom he gave a sword and a shield, making him assure that for nothing in the world he should be afraid of a final, before any rival, in a kind of metaphor related to the Persians and Spartans.
But Alejandro went a long way when it came to making his feelings clear: “I say it openly; the fans of Boca and I don't know if the Barcelona fans would say the same thing, those of Spain or those of River, 'no, I want Argentina to be champion': I want Boca to be champion. I am a fan of Boca, I love the National Team, the Argentine shirt, everything perfect. Now, look at the term I use: to love and I know what it is to love.”
In the live show Fantino's words did not go unnoticed and there were many people who agreed, which reignited a debate about what fans prefer, whether to see their national team or their team champion. The discussion grew in recent years due to the drought of Argentine team titles at higher levels.
But since the consecration of Scaloneta in Brazil, there was a furor with tickets that sold out in a few hours to see the team in the country, as happened after the Copa America in the qualifying matches, in which it qualified four dates before the end for Qatar 2022. The idyll of the people continues and tickets flew for this Friday in the match against Venezuela that will be played, precisely, in La Bombonera, the Boca Juniors stadium.
In addition, Fantino was not only a defender of the Scaloni cycle but also of the historical ones, such as the case of Ángel Di María (author of the historic goal against Brazil in the Copa America final) and with Lionel Messi, whom he continued to defend fervently and more in the elimination of PSG in the Champions League and demanded that his fans who do not criticize Argentine crack.
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