Secretos del vestuario, pedidos exigentes y olvidos insólitos: el divertido ping-pong a un utilero y un masajista históricos de la selección argentina

Behind each match played by Argentina's national football team lies a group of collaborators who know more than anyone else what goes on behind closed doors within the squad. Two of these individuals are Mario "Marito" Di Stéfano, a long-time kit man for the national team, and Marcelo "Daddy" D'Andrea, the team’s masseur for over two decades. Both participated in a lighthearted game of table tennis during which they revealed some secrets of the dressing room, such as which players are the biggest jokesters, who is the most organized, who always asks for five extra minutes before getting up, and which player will demand a massage even when it isn’t needed. They also recalled unusual requests made before heading onto the pitch, instances of forgetfulness that forced staff to race against time, and the most painful moments they experienced alongside the squad. During their interview with TNT Sports, the two main participants avoided revealing certain names, but they did not hesitate to point out others. De Paul and Dibu Martínez, the most "troublesome" When asked about the most "troublesome" player in the squad, Di Stéfano and D'Andrea did not agree on one name. For one of them, the title belongs to Rodrigo De Paul; for the other, it belongs to Emiliano Dibu Martínez. When identifying the quietest player, there were again two different answers: Lionel Messi and Nicolás Otamendi. However, there was consensus when choosing the most organized player in the dressing room. "Lautaro Martínez," they responded. Lautaro Martínez, the most organized player in the Argentine national team SHAUN BOTTERILL - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA After selecting him, they clarified with laughter that this didn't mean the rest were disorganized. "The others are all pretty orderly, but he is the extreme," they explained regarding the forward. The question about the most disorganized generated a different reaction. Neither wanted to reveal identities, although they admitted there were several candidates. "There are plenty. If we name them, we go to jail, but there are quite a few," they joked. "Is the loudmouth, the troublemaker" One of the funniest parts came when they were asked who was the player who was always behind them asking for something. There they had no doubts and immediately pointed to De Paul. "Unbearable. A pain in the neck," they replied with laughter. Then they expanded on the midfielder's description: "He is the troublemaker, the pain in the neck, the loudmouth. Unbearable." Rodrigo De Paul and Cristian Cuti Romero, during a training session of the national team Aníbal Greco - La Nación Dibu Martínez, meanwhile, was chosen as the most dance-like member of the group. The collaborators described him as the player who often embodies that festive spirit within the squad. Otamendi appeared in several categories. In addition to being considered one of the quietest, he was noted as the one who usually chooses the music heard in the dressing room. "He mixes because he likes everything. It's not that he's into cumbia. He likes another type of music and it's good. What he plays is very good," they highlighted. However, the defender was also selected as the player who requests massages the most. "Even if he doesn't need them, he asks. Otamendi, he's terrible," they revealed. Otamendi was also chosen as the player who requests massages the most Aníbal Greco / Special Correspondent - LA NACION The forgotten passport and a race against the clock Members of the support staff also remembered a situation that forced them to act urgently. One of the players arrived at the airport without his passport and they had to go look for it when the team was about to board the plane. Although they admitted to what happened, they refused to identify the protagonist. "Can we say? Because knowing you get two years, so we prefer not to say it," they joked. The situation occurred while the delegation was preparing to board. "They forgot a passport and we had to run out because we were boarding the plane," they recounted, giving no further clues about the player involved. The most painful dressing rooms of the Selection The