For some time now, Leonardo Balerdi has been named captain of OM. In addition to taking on responsibilities at the club, the Marseillais could do the same in the selection. Even if his last performances have not been very good, the 25-year-old player is seen as the future of the Argentine selection at the central defender position.
The face of OM changed significantly last summer. The Marseille club has recruited a lot, but in central defense, it continues to trust Leonardo Balerdi. The Argentinian, arrived at Marseille in 2020, even became the Olympian captain. The central therefore takes more responsibility in the club and this could also be the case in the selection.
Balerdi is the future of Argentina
In addition to being the captain of theABOUT, Leonardo Balerdi is more and more often called up for the Argentinian selection. However, during the last two meetings with his country, the Marseillais did not shine. This doesn't worry Juan Simonformer defender ofAlbicelesteinterviewed by The Teamwho relies heavily on the former player of Dortmund. “Against Paraguay (1-2, last Friday), he came on for the second period and, straight away, he caused a foul. The Paraguayan goal followed from there. He had an average match, like the team. Against Peru (1-0) on Tuesday, Argentina was never really attacked, its performance as a starter is difficult to judge. For me, he meets all the necessary conditions to be one of the center backs of the future in the selection. We have the best center in the world with “Cuti” Romero, and Lisandro (Martinez) is a very good player. But when Lionel Scaloni starts to change a little, to give space to young people, Balerdi will have a lot of possibilities. He goes fast, technically he is strong, he has a good recovery. He will eventually prevail. »
Balerdi is currently third or fourth Argentine central
An opinion shared by Renato Civelliformer defender ofABOUT and he also Argentinian like Leonardo Balerdi. According to him, the Marseillais is currently the third or fourth center in the Argentine hierarchy. “Unlike some of his predecessors, Scaloni does not call a player to promote him to the public or the market. Against Peru, Leo had the personality to drive the ball, he is comfortable in that regard, he tried to hit the ball several times with his foot. He was very serious, even against a team not inclined towards the offensive. Then there's Romero, Martinez and Nicolas Otamendi, of course, but the latter is closer to the end than the beginning. I don't imagine him starting soon, but, with his performances, Leo is well positioned to be Argentina's fourth center, perhaps even the third in the near future. »
