“It cost Vardenogiannis $2.5 million and a Mitsubishi boat from Japan to Argentina”

I ran away from home when I was a kid.

Yes, I was 16 years old.

How did you come to Newell’s?

“I always say that in my life it is as if the hand of God is guiding me. Anyone can believe whatever he wants, but I believe in this. I was 15 years old and played for one of the 5-6 teams in my village. In 1970, I started a championship National League. They were not playing children but men. To play in it, according to the instructions of the federation, the stadium should hold 5,000 people, grass and lighting. We had none of that. They began to make it but could not catch up. So, since they were A very good group of children, they said we should play both games at the opponent’s house. We went by train to Monte Caseros, which is 300 km to the south, and we stayed in a camp. We played on a rainy Sunday. When the match started, there were only two people with umbrellas In the stands. I laughed and asked, “Well, how did they get on the field on such a day.” The match was over, we won 2-1 and outside the dressing room was one of the guys on the podium. He asks who number five is. He asked me my name and my age and he didn’t think I was informed of Age 15. “You can’t just be 15, you can’t.” Tell him Number 2 is a teacher at My school and his right back is my brother. He went and asked and saw that I was telling him the truth. As I am now, I was 15 years old. I quickly gained height and my growth stopped there. Then he asked when we were playing again and came to see me again. I knew he was coming and I played really well that day, and I scored a goal too. I played as a midfielder. He asked me after that match if I’d like a try at Newell’s Old Boys. I told him, “Yes, a lot, but our parents have to agree.” He was a sergeant in the army and because he was crazy about Newell’s Old Boys, he volunteered to see the talent.”

Do you remember his name?

“Carlos Gaona. So he came to the village and went to my house. My mother was saying ‘No’. He was afraid to go to the city. So what did he do to convince my father? He went to the general who was my father’s friend in my village camp. I explained to him what was happening and when he came back to The whole neighborhood gathered outside the house. Something like that.. as if they were waiting for the pope to come out! She said, “If you don’t let the child go to Newell’s Old Boys, our friendship is over” And there my mother relented but asked me to finish school. ‘, assured her and so it was. And look what life is like… I was going on the train to see those coming from Buenos Aires, and suddenly it was time to leave. I didn’t realize I was leaving. I had a small bag… I had to run 300 kilometers. I left at 00.00 midnight and arrived at 4 in the morning, and someone had to wait for me. There were no cell phones to call someone. At that moment when they greeted me and said, “Be a good boy, be careful,” I replied, “I’m leaving for the test, If I don’t succeed, I won’t fail again. I will finish school and go to university. ”I was a chemist. I finished night school, I gave my mother land and could not go back. Then, growing up, I realized that I could do both. In 1971 I left my home and in 1973 I made my first appearance in the Argentine national team.

“Out of 3,000 children, in Newell’s, they took only 20”

And in Newell’s?

“When I went to Old Boys, I was shocked. They were there to test 3,000 kids. Within 5 minutes they were able to see who was playing for them and who wasn’t, in 8×8 pitches.”

Of the three thousand children, how many did they finally have?

“I think 20. And so I stayed at Newell’s Old Boys on loan from my hometown club.

Let me tell you a nice story. From the money the club got in my village, they bought a nice place there. It was crazy. I went there for a year and got travel money – 4000 pesos per month. When the loan period expired, Newell’s paid 1,500,000 pesos. An incredible amount for a stranger.

According to Argentine law, the team had to pay me 300,000 pesos, and my father donated it to the team without me asking. They told him they were going to build the training room with that 1,500,000 pesos. He said: Take them.

“I wasn’t out of puberty, I wasn’t afraid of anything”

First experiences of Newell’s? This is where I became a football “man”.

“First of all, I did not go beyond puberty. From children I went straight to men. I became a man the moment I got on the train and left my house. I said ‘Now I do not depend on anyone, I must take life into my own hands.’ I will not fail again.”

I was a child. What made it so difficult for you in your early days at Newell’s? What were you afraid of?

“Nothing. I was not afraid of anything. We stayed in a boarding house at first. In these old houses with high ceilings. We had three children in each room and then we started playing in the nursery. In Argentina there are 9 classes, I started from the fourth. I thought That I would never play in the first team, and I saw them as giants. I had someone near me who I thought was “my angel.” Cachito de la Pena. This was the masseuse of the team, he worked in the bank and every lunch time, at lunchtime, he would come across the field to see If anyone needs a massage. One day, August 1971, he said to me “What do you have?” I told him, “I think I will never play for this team.” He pulled out a piece of paper and said to me, “Here, I will sign that you will play in Next year.” In every picture I have he is next to me or on top of me. He was my angel. I was very fortunate to play in Newell’s New Era. The logic then was to give opportunities to the academy kids.”

The goal that sent Newell’s to the Final Four and the front page of the graphics

Who was the coach who trusted you in the first team?

“He was Jorge Fernando Griva, he was an academy official then a service coach. He played for 10 years at Atletico Madrid and is still at Newell’s. He went back to Mexico, to Independiente and back to Newell’s. He organized the academies and when he took charge of the team for three months, he promoted the boys From the academy. So, in August 1972, I made my debut and in 1974 we won the tournament with 8 guys who were from Newell’s Academy. Championship, Copa Libertadores, Argentina national team…Unbelievable things.”

Among all that dream you were having at the time, is there a story… Behind the curtains that you can tell us about?

“I was in the Argentine youth team and then we were in Chile for a national championship. I came from Chile and there are three games left in the season, which I have already missed many matches because of my presence in the national team. So I am on the bench and we had to win at San Lorenzo Match 1-1 and in the 80th minute the coach said: “Get ready quickly, you will be in.” I was ready. I was playing outside the left. After that, the coach played with a system – an experiment at that time called “fan.” The left wing was coming in So I went in and scored a goal, and El Grafico, who sold 20,000,000 issues a week, wrote, “Rocha scored the agonizing goal that sent Newell’s to the playoffs.” It was the only match Newell’s played in a black shirt. At ’87 the cross was made and I’m in the zone Big, in the corner. He shot the ball when it hit the post and went in. We qualified for the fourth with Boca, Rosario Central and Huracán. There we beat Huracan and Boca and drew with Rosario Central away after a draw. We lost 2-0 and drew 2-2. My goal remained that we won and sent the team To the qualifiers. To see what the big teams look like. When I was playing in Boca, before I came To Panathinaikos, for two consecutive weeks I was the full cover of El Grafico. On one of the covers I tag a River Plate player, and on the other I scored two goals while celebrating with open arms.”

The junta ordered not to go to the World Cup and “finished” Newell’s who sent him to Colombia

How did you move to Boca? Did you strive?

“No, it was accidental. But, he wrote… I was in the Argentina national team before the World Cup. In 1977 we played eight games at Boca Juniors. I played in three games: with East Germany, Scotland and England. I was at my best. Everyone said Not only should I be on the job, I should also be a key player. But because of the politics “I believe” I was cut off. After circumcision, I had a problem with my abdominal muscles. In June, a team from Colombia came and asked me to move. Newell’s said: “He’s useless, he can’t play football anymore. That’s how I left. My wife was pregnant with my daughter who made us grandparents now. That’s how we go to Colombia. There, in Colombia, all the good soccer players are gone. I was 23 when I went on 1978. The day Argentina and Poland played in Rosario, I was traveling to Colombia.”

Is Menotti the coach of the Argentine national team?

“Minute, yes.”

Did he talk to you about why you were fired?

“No, never. But we know they cut players because they were left. Then the junta gave the order though. Anyway, I’m going to Colombia and I did really well there. I had a contract for 1.5 years and in December, when it’s summer there, I went To my village on vacation. My dad came and told me they had a call from Buenos Aires. They left the number for you to take. Then we used to go to the OTE headquarters, say, to make a phone call. We put on headphones and talked. Well, I call and they say: “Do you You want to come to Boca Juniors?” I replied, “Now I’m coming, I’m running.”

“I was transferred to Boca by Politi, the former Olympiacos goalkeeper”

Who was he;

“The one who took me to Boca was the old Olympiacos goalkeeper, Alberto Politi. He intervened. He took me to Colombia and also took me to Boca. Imagine that in Colombia where I stayed for six months, I didn’t even come back to pack my things.

Boca Juniors changed my football life. Politi had a journalist friend who was on good terms with Boca coach Juan Carlos Lorenzo, who was the toughest coach for Argentina. Champion with Boca, sat on the bench for Mallorca, Lazio, Roma, River Plate, and the Argentine national team. It does not exist! Six years with him, and Boca won everything. I went to his house, and he was in a tracksuit and he said to me, “You’re a good footballer, but how dare you come here? Who am I going to take him out of the team to put you in? If you want, you’ll play next year.” I tell him, “I will stay and play this year.” He told me “crazy”. He went and spoke to President Alberto Jose Armando, who was a merchant. I was getting $100,000, the president said in Columbia, ‘we give him $25,000.’ They told me to think about it. They bought my money orders for $75,000. In January 1975, preparation began. Until June I haven’t played anywhere. They would put me in a match, and I’ll go… just fine, back in the B team. Until then comes the Libertadores Cup. I understood what he wanted, I played a defensive midfielder at Boca. We’re talking, no one was passing by! Anyone passing by had to spit blood. I have loved it! And in 1979, before I came to Panathinaikos, I was the captain of Boca. And when I left for Panathinaikos, this strong man was crying in my arms. He told me, “I wish you the best.” Boca paid me the money he owed me for six months. The team started having financial problems. And in the last match against San Lorenzo, the coach comes and says to me: “There are two people from a European team and they want to talk to you.” I say which team? They told me Panathinaikos. I answered “Let them go to c…n”. I remind you that I went to Panathinaikos for the first time in 1975 for six months and they didn’t even pay me a return ticket.