‘It’s a long time, 22 years, that we haven’t won anything’
The current generation of Argentina players is one of the best ever even though the team have not won a major trophy in 22 years, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
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Argentina head in to Saturday’s Copa America final against Chile seeking their first silverware since 1993, when they last won this tournament.
Since then they have twice reached the final, losing to Brazil both times, and made the World Cup final last year only to lose to Germany.
After the successes of the 1970s and 1980s, when they won the World Cup twice, Argentina’s fans and players are hungry for trophies.
Argentina are used to having great generations of footballers, some of whom have won things and others who have not," Martino said.
"This is one of the best – not just one of the many Argentine sides in history but one of the best.
"Unfortunately in football you’re judged by your achievements, so obviously they’ll be more highly regarded if they get the chance to win something." Martino also described the current Chile side as "the best Chilean generation in history". Argentina striker Sergio Aguero said he was hopeful Saturday’s match could mark a turning point for his team.
“It’s a long time, 22 years, that we haven’t won anything, but we’ve reached two finals in two years and now we have a great opportunity to win something,” he said. “Hopefully it will become a habit.”
