Diego Colotto: Alejandro Garnacho is the Javier Saviola of 2001

Publish date: 2024-06-22

Diego Colotto spoke about the FIFA 2023 U20 World Cup being held in Argentina and was praised both Alejandro Garnacho and Javier Saviola.

Colotto was part of the legendary Argentina U20 team which won the 2001 World Cup on home soil. The Argentine made up what is considered by many to be the best U20 team ever assembled.

Now retired, Colotto spoke to DSports FM 103.1 about the U20 World Cup being held in Argentina and coach Javier Mascherano. Here is what he had to say:

“It’s nice to enjoy an event of this magnitude. Regardless of what happens, it’s interesting for Argentine football to hold a tournament like this.

“He’s the right person to coach at the World Cup. It is a new and great possibility. The idea is there and now it will have to be adapted to the characteristics of the squad or the players. He also knows the squad and the players and for these kinds of tournaments, it’s very important.”

He also commented on Alejandro Garnacho, comparing him to Javier Saviola who was the top scorer of the 2001 U20 World Cup where he had 11 goals in seven matches and was also voted as the player of the tournament.

“Garnacho is the Saviola of 2001. He is the greatest exponent of this squad and hopefully he an be there. Javier at that time had already been sold to Barcelona and beyond him, there was Coloccini, Burdisso, D’Alessandro, Ponzio. There were several players with a long history and today you also have several but the greatest exponents of both teams and the World Cup are those two.”

Regarding Jose Pekerman, who was his coach at the 2001 U20 World Cup:

“José (Pekerman) is the person with the most wins at the youth World Cup and he will be among the most important in the history of Argentina. What stays with you the most from him are the values and the way you handle yourself. It’s no coincidence that all of Argentina’s current coaches have been with him.”

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