Italy’s clubs are approaching Argentina’s October programme with unease rather than sentiment. Lionel Messi’s planned farewell appearance at the Monumental is expected to be an emotional occasion in Buenos Aires, but its place in a three-match friendly window has created a difficult return timetable for several Serie A sides.
Key takeaways
- Messi is set to make his final Argentina appearance against Benin at the Monumental on Tuesday 6 October, with kick-off at 22:00 Italian time.
- Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina want to attend the occasion as invited guests, although Roma are minded to prevent the trip.
- Argentina’s schedule also includes Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on 3 October.
- Lautaro Martinez, Nico Paz, Nico Gonzalez, Mastantuono, Balerdi, Soulé and Castro are among the Serie A-based players called into the Argentina group.
- The lengthy international break leaves some players facing league fixtures only days after returning from South America.
A farewell with consequences in Italy
The Benin match is being prepared as a tribute to Messi, with a packed Monumental expected to celebrate a player whose Argentina career has defined an era. Former team-mates and current members of the squad are likely to be part of the evening, which may extend well beyond the final whistle.
Dybala and Molina, while not selected for the fixtures, have been invited to take part in the farewell. Both would like to be there because of their close relationship with Messi and the significance of the occasion in Buenos Aires. Roma, however, are expected to resist the request.
The concern is practical as much as sporting. A late Tuesday match in Argentina, followed by post-match celebrations and the intercontinental journey back to Italy, could leave the two players returning to Trigoria only on Thursday. Roma then travel to Como for a Sunday 12:30 fixture, meaning three training sessions could be lost in the week of an important direct contest.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s staff are therefore looking at a situation in which players would have travelled across the Atlantic for an event rather than a competitive international commitment, before being asked to prepare quickly for a demanding domestic appointment.
Three friendlies, tight league returns
The wider issue involves those who will play across Argentina’s three friendlies. Lionel Scaloni’s group meet Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September, Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on 3 October and Benin three days later. No qualification points are at stake, yet the break stretches across three weeks and affects clubs with immediate league obligations.
Fiorentina’s Mastantuono and Inter striker Lautaro Martinez have especially narrow margins. Fiorentina are due to play in Genoa at 15:00 on the Saturday after the international window, while the Italian champions host Parma at 18:00. Mastantuono could arrive back in Italy on Thursday, possibly take part in Friday’s final session, and then leave for Liguria that evening, an unwelcome scenario for Paolo Vanoli.
At Inter, Cristian Chivu has often granted an additional recovery day to players returning from national duty. If the same approach were applied to Lautaro, the forward could face Parma without a single training session after his journey.
Como will also watch Nico Paz’s condition closely before hosting Gasperini’s Roma, while Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti will hope Nico Gonzalez returns fit after beginning to earn greater confidence in Turin. Balerdi, Soulé and Castro are also part of the Argentina call-up, adding to Roma’s wider international workload.
An early release for players whose clubs play first over the weekend has been considered, but it appears unlikely. The desire of some non-selected players to make two transatlantic journeys in only a few days simply to attend Messi’s send-off underlines how difficult it would be to ask those officially called up to leave Argentina before the final friendly.
