“We often say in Argentina: ‘Don’t just come to eat the asado. Get there an hour and a half early. Otherwise, don’t come.’ Because the asado starts when you light the fire, not at mealtime. That, I think, represents us most: meat, asado, fire.
“Our herbal tea maté is also very ‘us’. In moments like that, we gather together, heat the water and drink a maté while chatting… Time goes by. It’s very Argentinian. For the guys, it’s also a way to decompress, to relax. It sparks conversation, jokes – it’s a companion. Even when you’re alone, maté keeps you company. That’s how we experience it as Argentinians. That’s why we always have a thermos under one arm and a maté gourd in the other.
“Beyond the drink itself, it’s a ritual, a shared moment. You pass it from person to person as it cools down. Everyone has their way of preparing maté and drinking it. An Argentinian get-together without maté is weird. In any home in Argentina, there’s always someone who drinks it – and someone waiting to sit you down, hand you a maté and chat. It’s part of our culture. It represents who we are.
“I’ve always been a football fan. A big Boca Juniors supporter and, since I’ve been in France, an OM fan too. I feel a huge connection here, beyond the colours. On matchdays, the city stops. People expect a lot from the club; the pressure on the club and the players is tangible, like it is back home. The players say it too: the Vélodrome is like a mirror. You can have the best match of your life, but if you lose the next weekend, you’re the worst. There’s a love-hate thing that really reminds me of Argentina. The passion in the stands, the way of singing.
“I’ve been to two or three matches elsewhere in France – those stadiums were nothing like the Vélodrome. As an Argentinian who spent 12 years in Buenos Aires and often went to see Boca, I get that same feeling – goosebumps, everyone singing together, the way people live the game. I feel a total connection between Marseille and Argentina. And players who’ve been here say the same: the stadium is unique, the supporters too, and you feel at home. It’s real.
“Buenos Aires is a city where you breathe football, you live football. On every street corner. Whatever the neighbourhood. People feel very represented by football. There’s a shared vibe between the Bombonera and the Vélodrome – the atmosphere, what the stadium creates. Here, the whole day is dedicated to those 90 minutes, and you start preparing when you wake up: which jersey to wear, which hoodie, who you’re going with, where you’ll grab a beer before going in. It’s a ritual.
“That’s what happens in Argentina too: you arrive two hours early, eat a choripán [sandwich] at the gate, drink a Fernet and Coke. Living here reminds me of the Bombonera – especially La Boca, where the stadium is located. The whole neighbourhood lives the game, not just the stadium. Here, it’s not just a neighbourhood, it’s the whole city.”
