Recently, Mascherano, the current coach of Argentina’s U23 national team, gave an interview to TyC Sports. He said that many clubs refused to release their players for the Olympics, and he understands Messi and Di Maria’s decision not to participate. He is satisfied with the current squad. 
Regarding the process of building the current Argentina U23 national team roster, Mascherano summarized: “We knew this process would be difficult, but I also want to thank the players for their commitment. They are willing to fight for their country. We are calm and satisfied with the team we have built.”
“Messi and Di Maria not on the roster? We sent invitations to them from the beginning of our team building. I have a good relationship with them, and everything is clear. They tried to assess the situation and think about what they really needed. As time went on, it became more and more difficult.”
“From the start, Di Maria rejected me, because he had already decided that the Copa America would be his last major tournament with the national team. In Messi’s case, we also understand the reality. If Messi is away from the club for too long, it will ultimately cause him trouble. We talked clearly about this, and that’s enough for me.”
“Martinez also missed the roster? We started talking to Martinez a long time ago. At the time, we didn’t know how Aston Villa’s season would end. In the end, they qualified for the Champions League, and we knew that negotiations with Villa would be difficult. But we wanted to wait until the last moment because he wanted to try. Eventually, we talked to Rulli, and luckily he was able to participate.”
Finally, commenting on Argentina’s performance at the Copa America, Mascherano said: “We have loved the Argentina team for many years. Scaloni has made this team grow game by game, ultimately reaching such a high level. Many times, we are no longer satisfied with just winning. Those who participated in the World Cup final set the bar too high.”
“For me, Argentina is still at a very high level. I think what makes us all proud is that we can sit down and watch the national team play, and finally know what we are looking for. It’s a team that is way ahead.”
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