The Argie Bargy-tastic Midweeker
Thursday 08 October 2009 08:00
‘¿Qué es Arrrrrgie Barrrrrgy?’ a friend here in Argentina recently asked.
After a quick explanation, the conversation then veered into potentially troublesome waters when the amigo pointed out that naming a blog on Argentine football after a byword for a bit of a ruck is, in itself, looking for a bit of argie bargy.
Es posible, we were forced to admit.
It might have been simpler to draw comparisons to comedy screaming matches between couples conducted in public, drunken fisticuffs that come to nothing, taxi drivers in general or a TV studio with more than one politician in it at any one time.
Had they been at AFA headquarters this week, however, they would have seen an exemplary episode of argie bargy with their own eyes.
Things have changed at the AFA. The media used to enjoy relatively free access to speak to players after training, although the situation was essentially a free-for-all and would rapidly degenerate into a maul.
To avoid these mauls, there is now a big barrier and several angry looking young men in pseudo military garb protecting that barrier, ensuring that the media stay on one side and the players stay on the other.
It makes sense, and should make things easier for everyone. Should.
This week, one group of journalists decided they’d found the perfect spot to stand and wait for Maradona to speak after training, only to see a different group set up shop a few metres away.
They then saw Maradona decide to talk to that other group, so predictably there was a maul.
No sooner did Diego start to walk away, Argie Bargy was given a crash course on the Argentine’s preferred choice of insult as a skirmish broke out over mixed zone etiquette.
The whole episode was caught by TV cameras. Photographers snapped away. Security had to step in although in the end it was nothing, just a bit of argie bargy.
Some may have been expecting to see the real trouble out on the pitch after Mr. Messi had to publicly deny that a player with "limited ability" who keeps getting called up for the national team had threatened to break his son’s legs.
With not a shin-pad in sight at Tuesday’s practise match, however, any problems between players must have been resolved.
Or, like Mr. Messi said, perhaps the aforementioned threat was never issued. A high-profile agent thinks that it was.
Back to the maul, those within earshot of Maradona were hearing about more problems. "When Grondona (AFA president) gave me the job, I was the happiest man alive, but things have happened since I took over that I’m not pleased about," said Diego, "and I’ll tell him. If I carry on it will be under my terms."
The injury to Pablo Zabaleta is partly the problem. The Manchester City right-back was due to start against Peru, but is ruled out through an injury picked up in Monday night’s Premier League match at Aston Villa.
"Argentina have got two really tough games now and Manchester City have 100 more," reasoned Diego. "Someone should have gone (to Manchester) and got the players earlier. The turtle escaped," meaning that they were too slow.
Zabaleta and Carlos Tevez arrived later than most after playing for City on Monday.
The Apache was in belligerent mood when he landed in Argentina (a literal translation is needed here, so we are not accused of sensationalism).
"I’m a millionaire because I play football and I break my *rse every day," said the Manchester City forward to accusations of not playing well for his country.
"Saying I don’t care about playing for the national team is b*ll*cks."
All in all it was a bit of an argie bargy-tastic Tuesday.
Diego’s not happy, the players may be on non-kicking terms but are just a tad miffed at the media suggesting they don’t perform for the national team, while the press are fighting amongst themselves.
It goes without saying though that if Argentina fail to make the World Cup (which this blogger doubts will happen), that’s when the real argie bargy will kick off.
--------------------------------------------
FourFourTwo.com: More to read...
Argie Bargy home
Blogs home
Latest South America news
News home
Interviews home
Forums home
FourFourTwo.com home
or
to add your comments
About Joel Richards
After four years in Spain, Joel Richards decided to swap the tapas of Madrid for the steaks of Buenos Aires. A freelance sports writer and producer, he follows the fortunes of emerging wunderkids, former
Albiceleste stars and Diego Maradona, while trying to avoid conversations involving the Mexico 86 quarter-finals or a group of small islands in the South Atlantic.