‘El Raton’ finally retired from professional football at the age of 37 last December, after a glittering career which included league titles in Argentina, Spain and Italy. The ex-Milan and Valencia star also picked up 115 caps for his country – a figure only surpassed by Inter’s Javier Zanetti – and admitted that he thinks ‘El Diego’ got it all wrong when he took on the Germans in Johannesburg.
“He planned the game in completely the wrong manner in the last game: Javier Mascherano did not know where he was going. Germany were up for it and they went through,” Ayala told El Pais on Monday evening. The ex-defender was particularly perplexed given that months before the World Cup the Seleccion had beaten Joachim Loew’s side, albeit with very different tactics on display.
“It is not a criticism but if Maradona won a friendly in Germany playing them in a different way, I would have played the same: containment and counter-attacking.”
Ayala moved on to talk about current coach Sergio Batista and his plans for the Albiceleste; and offered guarded praise for ‘Checho’.
“The idea is to take care of the ball and beat teams with it at feet, following the model of Barcelona,” he explained, before pointing out that Batista’s men are still some way off their Spanish role models.
“You cannot copy it entirely though, because we only have Messi; Xavi, Iniesta and the full backs that can damage other teams are missing. Barca is a football culture developed over years of playing together.”
The Albiceleste play Costa Rica later today in an international friendly.
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Argentina Legend Roberto Ayala Slams Diego Maradona’s World Cup Performance