"Sometimes Barulich bought us the tickets and other times we sneaked in thanks to a friend my dad had at the entrance to the popular section of the Riachuelo. He let us in", he added.
The World Cup-winning coach said that his grandfather made him a fan, recalled his first victory lap at La Bombonera, and confessed who his idols were
"Sometimes Barulich bought us the tickets and other times we sneaked in thanks to a friend my dad had at the entrance to the popular section of the Riachuelo. He let us in", he added.
Scaloni also remembered being at La Bombonera the day Boca ended an eleven-year drought and won the local tournament under the leadership of Maestro Tabárez in 1992: "I was at La Bombonera the day of Benetti's goal when Boca became champion in '92".
He also revealed who his childhood idol was: "My childhood idol was Giunta because I used to run and tackle like crazy. All my life I would go to the ground to slide, it was a typical move of mine. Meanwhile, at that time, Giunta was a symbol". The current coach of the Albiceleste also highlighted another combative midfielder: "Fabián Carrizo also tackled like crazy. I admired both of them".
This journey through his childhood and his idols shows a Scaloni who, before becoming a reference for the National Team, experienced football with the same passion as any fan in the stands.
Lionel Scaloni, now a symbol of the Argentina National Team and world champion, had a childhood marked by his fanaticism for Boca. Although the passing years and his professional career cooled that overwhelming passion, in his official biography he recalled how it all began.
In the book written by journalist Diego Borinsky, the coach detailed that his grandfather was the main reason for his blue and gold inclination: "Mauro and I became Boca fans because of our grandfather Deolindo, with whom we lived".
The confession was not easy for his father Ángel, a River fan, nor for his mother, who chose Rosario Central due to family heritage, to accept. However, despite the rivalry, Scaloni's own father was the one who took them to the stadium: "My dad took us to see Boca even though he was a River fan because if he saw us happy, he was happy too. Although he wasn't a fanatic either".
