The talent scout behind Echeverri, Mastantuono, spoke and introduced a new gem.

Claudio Echeverri and Franco Mastantuono share more than just their talent and training in River's youth teams. Both were discovered by Daniel Brizuela, former Director of Recruitment at the club, who not only spotted them in their childhood but also anticipates the next big name: Sami Maldonado. In a conversation with Bolavip, he revealed the secrets behind these gems and explained his unique way of viewing soccer.

Brizuela's selection methods

For Brizuela, technique is not enough if it is not accompanied by intelligence and decision-making. "If you have great skill, great technique, speed, but the final decision-making is bad, it's useless," he explains. He details what sets him apart when evaluating a kid: "That's where the player's category is defined. Then come personality and character."

He acknowledges that at early ages everything is harder to see, but there are clear signs. "There are only a few minutes in which you have to draw all kinds of conclusions... You have to focus on detecting movements and the decisions they make," he says.

He also adds a key aspect of his analysis: "I talk about patterns of a type of intelligence called kinesthetic intelligence. It's about the control of body movement and the fluidity with which they perform."

Echeverri: a precocious talent and an almost lost opportunity

El Diablito was always special, although his stay at River was in doubt from the start. "He was a top-tier from a young age, but he was about to leave River because if his mother didn't come, he wouldn't stay," Brizuela recalls.

At that moment, his decision was key for him to stay: "They asked me if I was sure, I said yes, and an apartment was rented for them to live in."

He even revealed that Echeverri was close to wearing blue and gold: "Claudio was ready to go to Boca... but he is a die-hard River fan and ended up staying."

Meanwhile, despite his enormous potential, Brizuela believes that the youth's development process was not ideal. "He didn't have the time and the way to arrive well-prepared... I consider that his sale was rushed and that he was poorly advised," he commented.

He also points to the technical environment as a key factor in his evolution: "He had a coach like Demichelis who is not a specialist in talent management, something Gallardo is."

Mastantuono: maturity, values, and a white future

Unlike Echeverri,  Mastantuono had a more solid environment and a more balanced process. "He's been a man for a while... his parents did a great job," Brizuela assures.

His talent was clear from the first time he saw him play: "He was 9 years old and already did an oriented control with unbelievable naturalness... he was a child prodigy."

In his childhood, he also excelled in tennis, but he chose soccer out of passion: "He was ranked among the top in tennis... but the difference was that he has a passion for soccer."

Looking to the future, Brizuela has no doubts about where he should play: "He has everything to be a Real Madrid player. I said it when he was 10 years old and I still say it now." However, he warns that he shouldn't rush: "He has to go through a process like Julián Álvarez or Enzo Fernández. He should stay two more years."

Sami Maldonado: the new name to follow

Brizuela already envisions his new "chosen one": Sami Maldonado,  2014 category, whom he discovered and brought to River. "He's a child prodigy, a level 1 player... He's going to be the next one, I have no doubt," he states.

His abilities impressed him from the start: "He's skillful, carries the ball at speed, has a goal, and plays across the entire attack front. He's unstoppable." He also surprised with an unexpected fact about him: "He's the grandson of Bernd Schuster, the German. Imagine those genes running through his veins."

Unlike other stages of his life, now Brizuela prefers to share what he knows: "I'm saying it now... because I no longer work in clubs, I'm going to talk about this kid who is going to be fantastic."