The Argentine soccer world is in a state of flux, and a "battle" for talented players is quietly taking place. The Argentine U20 national team's head coach, Mas Gianlano, is interested in inviting his former friend and current overage player, Misi, to join the team in order to shine in next year's Paris Olympics men's soccer tournament. However, the fact that he will be playing in the CONCACAF Champions League next summer has left Mascarano with a difficult choice.
Mascarenhas and Mez are not only ex-teammates of the national team, but they have also won La Liga and UEFA Champions League honors for Barcelona side by side. They even won the men's soccer gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for the Argentine national team, so their deep friendship is evident.
Now in charge of the Argentine U20 national team, Mascarano hopes that Mez will be able to return to his old dream of competing in next year's Olympics. He said, "The door of the team is always open for Misi and if we can qualify for the Olympics and Misi has the will to participate, I would very much welcome him. I have a very strong friendship with him and I would do that for him."
The much-anticipated Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11 next year, while the Copa América is scheduled to take place from June 20 to July 14 the same year. Theoretically, Mez has the ability to participate in both tournaments, but considering he is already over 36 years old, the frequent matches may be a burden on his body. In addition, his club, Internacional Mayami, does not want him to leave the team for a long period of time, so Mez has to make a difficult choice between the two tournaments.
