Former Argentina World Cup forward Ariel Ortega was a surprise inclusion on Tuesday in a squad named by coach Diego Maradona for a friendly against Haiti next week.
The 36-year-old River Plate playmaker, who won the last of his 86 caps in 2003, was included in a squad of 17 home-based players to meet Haiti in Cutral Co in the Andean province of Neuquen on May 5.
“The truth is this is a great joy for me to be in the national team, the maximum I’ve ever experienced in football,” Ortega, who played at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups, told a news conference after a River Plate practice.
“After such a long time not wearing the shirt, it is something nice, unique. I know this doesn’t mean I’ll be at the World Cup because for that [the coach] worked with other players and that’s fine. I’m grateful to [Maradona] for taking me into account to play this match,” he said.
Maradona also included Boca Juniors striker Martin Palermo, a World Cup hopeful, for the warm-up for the finals in South Africa starting on June 11.
Ortega is one of more than 100 players Maradona has called up during his 18 months in charge and was previously picked for a friendly against Ghana in September that he missed through injury.
The call-up comes after a troubled few days for the player known as Burrito (little donkey), who got into a running argument with Estudiantes defender Leandro Desabato during River’s league match on Saturday before crashing his car on the way to training on Monday.
Desabato called Ortega a drunkard, alluding to the player’s drink problems. Ortega retaliated with a studs-up tackle.
Maradona also called up Independiente goalkeeper Adrian Gabbarini for the first time as he tries to decide on a third keeper for his World Cup squad.
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