Before lionel scaloni established himself for having been the technical director who guided the Albiceleste to win the World Cup, a nickname predicted his destiny of greatness: “The Leonidas of Pujato”as he named him at the time as conductor Alexander Fantinonickname with which in networks they still continue to call Scaloni.
The anecdote comes from an interview that Fantino did to Scaloni last year for the channel ESPNafter the pujatense made him win the America Cup to the Selection. In said interview, Fantino gave Scaloni some very special gifts: two swords and an ancient warrior’s helmet, brought, according to the driver, from the very same Greece.
“I’m going to give you something to play, which has the power to not be afraid of anything, gringo”; Fantino stated before presenting the gifts to Scaloni. Next, the driver told the pujatense the story of how the 300 Spartans that he led in ancient times king leonidas managed to defeat 250,000 Persians in what is known as “The Battle of Thermopylae”and that the cinema immortalized in the famous film “300”.
“You have to be careful because it cuts, they are real swords,” Fantino told Scaloni, who was looking at the stunned driver and letting out a few laughs. After Fantino made Scaloni take up his sword, the driver asked him to touch the helmet and say that whatever happens he will not be afraid. “You are a pushy Spartan! Sparta!” the driver shouted, holding the other sword in front of Scaloni’s rapt smile.
After the two talked about the love that people already professed towards La Scaloneta at that time, Fantino made Scaloni put on the Greek helmet and, holding the sword sitting in front of him, exclaimed: “Leonidas! Pujato’s Leonidas!” The interview went viral and was shared on social networks on the occasion of the victory in Qatar.
by RN
