De Maria: I would have given up football without my mother
Argentina won the Copa America final a few days ago with a goal from De Maria. However, the Argentine footballer wanted to quit playing football more than once as a child. He wrote about how his mother and teammates helped him at PlayerTribune.com.
Then four years old. My mother took me to the doctor. He said, ‘Tell me what to do with the boy? Runs all the time. The rush does not stop at anything.
Since the doctor is a resident of Argentina, his answer was conceivable. He said, ‘What do you mean! Let the boy play football.
That’s how it started.
I remember playing football so crazy, my shoes literally split in two every two months. My mother used to glue it. Because we did not have enough money to buy new shoes. Definitely playing very well. Because, at the age of seven, I scored 74 goals for my local team. One day my mother called and said, “The local radio wants to talk to you.”
We went to the radio station, gave interviews. I was, of course, very shy. It goes without saying.
That same year, Father Rosario received a call from the young coach of the Central team. They wanted me to play for them.
And that’s how Graciela was born.
Graciela — a rusty, old, yellow bicycle. My mother used to take me to practice on this bicycle every day. There was a small basket in front of the bike. There was a seat behind the driver. But the problem was, I had to take my younger sister with me every day. So my father made a wooden seat on one side of the bicycle, where my sister used to sit.
Just think! One woman is riding a bicycle. His son in the back, the girl sitting on one side, and the boy’s boots in the front basket, some food. The bicycle is sometimes going up and down the hill. Rain, cold, pitch black … nothing matters. My mother just turned the paddle.
Graciela led me to where I wanted to go.
But to be honest, my time at Central was not easy. Even without my mother, I would have given up playing football. I wanted to give up twice.
Even at the age of 15, I was not growing enough physically. The coach was kind of a little crazy. He liked players who were healthy and aggressive on the field. Considering these two aspects, I am completely incompatible. One day I did not jump to head the ball in the D-box. At the end of the day the coach called me. He said in front of everyone, ‘You are an idiot, shameless. Nothing will ever happen to you.
I was devastated. Tears welled up in my eyes before he finished speaking. I cried in front of all my teammates.
When I returned home, I went straight to my room. I was crying alone. My mother understood that something had happened. Because, every night when I returned home, I would go out again and play in the street. My mother came to my house and asked, what happened? I was afraid to tell him the truth. Because, I know, if he knew everything, he would cycle so far to punch my coach. Mother is a very calm person. But if you do anything with his children there is news!
I told my mother, I got into a fight. But he knew I was lying. My mother did what other mothers do in these cases. He called one of my teammates and found out the truth.
Mother
When my mother came back a little later, I was crying. I told my mother, I don’t want to play football anymore. De Maria did not want to leave my house the next day. I didn’t even want to go to school. Looked very insulted. But then the mother came. He sat on my bed and said, ‘You go. Go today and prove yourself. ‘
That day I went to training again and something very surprising happened. None of the friends laughed at me. The reverse helped. When the ball floated in the air, the defenders gave me a chance to head. They made sure I had a good day. Has been watching me all day.
Football is a very competitive sport. Especially in South America. Everyone wants to have a good life playing football. But I will remember that day forever. Because, my teammates realized that day, I was in trouble. And they stood by my side.