The debate had already been opened by Clarín yesterday morning.
"Was the Scaloneta the best team in history?" Luis Vinker asked in a note in which he analyzed and compared the world champion in Qatar with other national teams that reached the top: in that portrait Menotti's teams appeared and Bilardo, who won the historic World Cups in Argentina 78 and Mexico 86 and even the golden generation that won the Basketball Gold medal in Athens 2004.
Hours later,
Rodrigo De Paul
got into the controversy in an interview with Tyc Sports:
"Let everyone forgive me, but we ended up being the best National Team our country had
," argued the midfielder from the Scaloni squad.
"I'm not saying it out of ego, far from it. I think the National Team had better players than those who make up this one, but as a team we beat all the current champions there were, the last American champion (Brazil), the last European champion (Italy) and the last world champion (France)", continued De Paul, who tried to avoid controversy, although the answers were not long in coming.
The first to answer was
Pedro Pasculli
, champion with the team led by Maradona and Bilardo in México 86. Who spoke in Super Deportivo on Radio Villa Trinidad: "I invite De Paul to see the 86 World Cup and our team that was undefeated champion.
This team lost to Saudi Arabia, who had never beaten us before
."
Even the former champion with Argentinos Juniors in 1984 and 1985 was not left with only that foundation, but sought to highlight the merits of what was done by the teams of 78 and 86, compared to the champion in Qatar.
"
I don't think it's the best team in history. There were very good teams
. The one from 78 made people have a lot of fun. Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia, which is the first time they've won a game against us
.
We, for example, We were world champions, undefeated.
We didn't lose any game. I understand what he's saying, but maybe he didn't see the rest of the teams
, "said Pasculli while pointing out the way in which the team led by Maradona was established .
Pedro Pasculli at the consecration of Mexico 1986, together with Carlos Bilardo, his coach.
Photo: STAFF / AFP
The 62-year-old former soccer player directly confronted the one led by Diego Simeone at Atlético de Madrid.
"He (De Paul) says that this team didn't have the best players, but he thinks it was the best in history.
How is that? He says that there were other teams with better players, but they aren't the best in history. So he He disrespects his teammates
, saying they weren't the best. We were the best in '86, but he didn't see De Paul at that World Cup. I don't know where he was, he hadn't started playing soccer yet and he wasn't even born The truth would invite him to see the 1986 World Cup and our National Team," said the former Colón, without mincing words.
Later,
Daniel Bertoni
, part of Menotti's squad, and
Julio Olarticoechea
, Pasculli's partner in the group that raised the cup at the Azteca Stadium, joined the debate when speaking with TN.
El Vasco
, from a more correct role, sought to calm the waters and recognize the three world consecrations equally: “It seems to me that De Paul was not correct, it is not an offense, it is clear, but it does not look good.
Each Selection had its moment.
The main thing is that we made a town happy, not only them
, but also us in 1986 and the boys from 1978. Only the National Team can unite a town, incredibly, when it should be normal”.
The Vasco Olarticoechea, Argentine reference.
Photo: CONMEBOL
And he added: "
It's not good
.
Full stop, is his thought.
Those who can say that are the journalists who lived through the three World Cups.
We all had problems: those of 78, us in 86 and now.
Then who was the best Selection, it is not up to me to say it "
On the other hand, Bertoni did not agree with the
Motorcito
's statements either: “I am proud to have worn the National Team shirt and that Argentina has three World Cups.
The comparisons are very ugly
, since the three had setbacks in the finals but they knew how to turn the situation around and win the World Cup.
Proud that Argentina has three stars”.
Daniel Bertoni in his days as a player for the Menotti National Team.
Photo: The Graphic
In short, the Qatari champion gave rise to a debate where there are probably still renowned characters who come out to answer him, but there is still no
definitive answer
.
The moment De Paul opened the debate
In a dialogue with Tyc Sports, the Atlético de Madrid player gave his own opinion about the place that Scaloni's squad occupied among all those in the history of the Argentine nation.
Look.
"WE WERE THE BEST SELECTION OF THEM ALL"
Rodrigo De Paul did not mince words and assured that La Scaloneta is positioned at the top of Argentine history.
pic.twitter.com/dxMqChJ3At
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) February 28, 2023
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