In La Plata, where Andrés Ayala first came through Estudiantes’ academy, the 26-year-old midfielder is preparing for a markedly different chapter of his career. Once part of Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina youth set-up, Ayala has joined Unidos de Olmos in the city’s amateur league after leaving the professional game.
From Argentina youth honours to Olmos
- Ayala was developed at Estudiantes de La Plata and reached the club’s senior squad, making his first-team debut in December 2020 when Leandro Desábato was in charge.
- That appearance brought only limited minutes for Estudiantes, and the midfielder subsequently moved through Argentina’s lower professional divisions in pursuit of regular football.
- His career included spells with Agropecuario, Ferro Carril Oeste and Almagro before a final professional stint at Arsenal de Sarandí.
- At Arsenal, Ayala played 20 matches across 2024 and 2025. After that spell, he was no longer in the professional circuit and worked to restore his physical and football condition.
- Although he had hoped to remain in the promotion divisions, he accepted Unidos de Olmos’ offer and will now compete in the Liga Amateur Platense.
A place in Scaloni’s early story
Ayala’s name carries a small link to the beginning of Scaloni’s international coaching journey. He belonged to the Argentina Under-20 group that won the 2018 International Tournament of L’Alcúdia, an early trophy for the coach before he went on to lead the senior national side.
That youth success arrived well before Scaloni’s major achievements with Argentina’s first team, while Ayala’s own professional path took him largely through the country’s second-tier and promotion competitions. His move to Unidos de Olmos keeps him playing in the La Plata area, but in a non-professional championship far removed from the international youth title he once shared with the current Argentina manager.
