The ex-footballer Daniel Bertoni, world champion striker with Argentina in 1978, clarified that he does not want to “enter into controversy” with Rodrigo De Paulalthough he maintained that “He will have his thoughts and his idea that the Argentine National Team in Qatar was the best in history, but for me it is ours and for the boys of 86 it will be theirs”.
“The teams of 78 and 86 were two great teams with great players. I don’t want to argue with De Paul, I knew him as a boy. For me it is not a controversy or a discussion and what he said does not hurt me at all because for me the 78 and 86 were two great teams with great players,” Bertoni declared in dialogue with Télam.
The former Quilmes and Independiente striker responded to the midfielder’s statements Rodrigo De Paul, who stated in a television note that the representative Argentine world champion in Qatar was “the best National Team our country had.” in the world cups
In that sense, Bertoni opined: “Everyone has their opinion but the rival teams at that time were mostly very strong“He continued about the teams that the selected “Albiceleste” had to face in the World Cups in Argentina 1978 and Mexico 1986.
The Selection led by César Luis Menotti faced Hungary (2-1), France (2-1) and Italy (0-1) at home in the group stage, while in the second round they faced Poland (2- 0), Brazil (0-0) and Peru (6-0), while in the decisive match they beat the Netherlands 3-1 in extra time.
While the team led by DT Carlos Bilardo and led on the field of play by Diego Armando Maradona in Mexico 86 beat South Korea (3-1), tied with Italy (1-1) and beat Bulgaria ( 2-0) in the first phase, while they beat Uruguay 1-0 in the round of 16, England 2-1 in the quarterfinals, Belgium 2-0 in the semifinals and Germany 3-2 in the the final.
“When De Paul says that they beat Italy, this Italian team is one of the worst I’ve seen because it hasn’t appeared in four World Cups: in two it was eliminated in the first round and in two others it didn’t even qualify for the World Cup”Bertoni stressed. “In reference to Brazil, it is not the Brazil that we played with great figuresbut everyone has their ideas and they are respectable,” continued one of the great idols in the history of Independiente.
“The 1986 world champions will internally think that they were the best team and each generation of fans will choose a particular team and even more so today with all the strength of the social networks that are currently managed by the youngest”, he said in reference to the impact of social networks on public opinion.
“I insist: I do not want to get into controversy because everyone thinks it was the best and for me ours was a great Selection with Fillol, Passarella, Tarantini, Olguín, Galván, Gallego, Ardiles, Kempes, Luque, Ortiz, Houseman and me, a a lot of players who later succeeded in Europe“, he reinforced about the quality of players of the 78 World Cup.
“I am proud that we are world champions and in particular of having scored a goal in the final against the Netherlands and stay in history. There are many things that each one must put in the balance, “continued the player who scored the third and last goal for his team against the Netherlands.
The native of the Buenos Aires city of Bahía Blanca, on the other hand, He highlighted the “unit” that the team led by DT Lionel Scaloni had as “the great engine” to get the third star of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
“The unit they had at the group level was the great engine to win the World Cup and that is something important that we and those of 86 also had,” he said.
“The three teams had to suffer in the finals and overcome difficult situationswe had (Dick) Nanninga’s draw, the shot on the post in the last minute and those of 86 the partial draw 2-2 with Germany and lift the result again”, explained the former player who emerged in Quilmes and winner of three Libertadores cups (1973, 1974 and 1976) and an Intercontinental (1973) with Independiente.
“The last final ended tied 3-3 and they did not win during the game like us (3-1 against the Netherlands) and those of 86 (3-2 against Germany) with two rivals that were powers at the time: The Netherlands had just revolutionized with its total football and Germany was always in the finals and (they were) difficult teams to beat,” concluded Daniel Bertoni.
