Almost a decade after that historic 2015 Copa Libertadores that marked the international rebirth of River, Marcelo Barovero broke his silence and spoke about the great unfinished business of his career: the Argentina National Team.
Undisputed figure in Marcelo Gallardo's team, which defeated Tigres 3-0 in the final held at Estadio Monumental, Trapito was for years one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the country. However, he was never drafted to the Albiceleste. In an interview with Clarín, he expressed his disappointment with restraint, but without hiding his discomfort.
Barovero era uno de los mejores arqueros del país en su momento
"That period was a bit strange, because they didn't draft the guys from the squad. We always said that as soon as they arrived in Ezeiza, they crossed the Atlantic and were already drafted. Any player who left, before landing, was already drafted," recalled the former goalkeeper with a mix of irony and resignation.
For Barovero, the lack of opportunities was not due to his level, but to the context: "Yes, because in general, everyone got their chance. Gabi Mercado ended up playing in the World Cup. Maidana went once, Funes Mori as well. The same with Kranevitter. Everyone had a chance except me."
The goalkeeper who became a Millonario idol also hinted that, at the very least, he could have been included in the squad lists as the third goalkeeper: "Chiquito Romero was undisputed, but I think I could have been among the three. I had a lot of hope, to be honest. I never liked being a crowd-pleaser or stirring things up, so that's how I understood it."
Legendary career at River
During his four years at the club (2012–2016), Barovero played 167 matches, conceded 145 goals, kept his goal unbeaten on 67 occasions, and was never sent off. In total, he played 14,836 minutes wearing the sacred mantle and won six titles:
2014 Torneo Final
2014 Copa Campeonato
2014 Copa Sudamericana
2015 Recopa Sudamericana
2015 Copa Libertadores
2015 Suruga Bank Cup
Barovero fue clave en los títulos entre 2014 y 2015
Despite his achievements, the call from the National Team never came. Although time has passed, the wound still hasn't fully healed.
