Simeone’s son aims to make own mark
Youngster looks to secure Argentina success in U-20 World Cup
Of all the top young players on show at the Fifa Under20 World Cup, few have more pressure on their shoulders than Giovanni Simeone. Not only does he have to continue a remarkable Argentine tradition at the tournament, he also has to live up to a famous surname.
Simeone — who is expected to be one of the stars of the event after shining in qualifying — has spent much of his life in the shadow of his father.
Diego Simeone was one of the most respected Argentine players of his generation, a tough-tackling midfielder who represented his country more than 100 times. Simeone senior, also notorious for his role in getting David Beckham sent off in the 1998 World Cup, carved out an impressive professional career in Europe with Inter Milan, Lazio, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla. To add to the folklore, Diego Simeone has since excelled in management, guiding Atletico to the La Liga title last season and the Champions League final.
That’s quite a story to follow, especially in such a football-obsessed country, but Simeone is coping so far.
“It’s not a burden but a challenge to have this name,” Simeone told the Argentine newspaper Ole. “I know a lot of things give me a plus. I am proud that my dad is someone so important in football and the national team. He is an example for me but I haven’t [made it] here because I’m the son of [someone famous].”
Such a background brings both opportunities and pressure, and players often have to work twice as hard to prove they are not riding on coat-tails.
“Some people thought that he was here just because his name was Simeone,” teammate Emanuel Mammana told Ole. “But he winds up being a humble guy and a great teammate. The truth is that he kills himself in practice in order to be a great forward.”
Simeone has been at River Plate since 2008, and the 19-year-old has made 27 appearances for the iconic Buenos Aires club in the last two seasons. But it was his performances at the South American Under-20 Championships this year that set tongues wagging. Simeone scored nine goals to top the charts (the next best was five) and briefly threatened the all-time record of 11. Argentina beat the big guns, including Brazil, to take the championship and confirm their favourites tag for this World Cup.
There will also be plenty of expectation from home. Argentina have won this event six times — more than Brazil, Germany, Italy or any other nation. It started with the Diego Maradona-inspired title in 1979 and more glory followed in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007. The Albiceleste have also produced some of the biggest names of previous tournaments, from Maradona to Javier Saviola, Sergio Aguero to Lionel Messi. Could Simeone be next?
Argentina are in action on Saturday, facing Panama in Wellington (4pm). They then play Ghana — in what could be one of the games of the tournament — next Tuesday (7pm) before their final group match (versus Austria) in the capital on Friday, June 5.