‘Unacceptable’ – USMNT’s Alejandro Zendejas called out by ex-Mexico boss Tata Martino for attitude shown while snubbing El Tri
Zendejas #Zendejas
Former Mexico boss Tata Martino has sent a thinly-veiled dig at Alejandro Zendejas for snubbing El Tri in favor of the United States.
WHAT HAPPENED? In March, Zendejas announced he was switching allegiance to the United States. And that hasn’t gone down well with Martino, the Argentine who managed Mexico between 2019 and 2022.
WHAT THEY SAID: “I come from a country that may have a lot of defects but the commitment to the national team is unbreakable,” Martino told the Athletic.
“We don’t understand why a player needs to be convinced to come play for the national team. Players need to show up for their national team. If a player has an issue with the coaching staff or if he doesn’t want to play due to other circumstances, he has every right to communicate that and move forward. What’s unacceptable is thinking that a coach should ring a player’s doorbell and ask him to play for the national team. That can’t happen.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: FIFA determined earlier this year that Zendejas previously featured in a game for Mexico illegally, and not long afterwards he settled on committing to the USMNT. Interim boss Anthony Hudson has been very complimentary about the Club America wideman, who gives the national side another forward option.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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Crédito: Getty
Getty Images
WHAT NEXT? It remains to be seen how much Zendejas features for the USMNT, whose next fixture is aptly against Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League on June 16.
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