© EuroFootball.com
On Thursday, the Madrid club announced on their website that Argentine national team defender Maxi Rodriguez tore the cruciate ligaments in his left knee. It is speculated that the 25-year-old Argentine may not be able to help his team for the majority of this season.
On Wednesday, during a friendly match between the national teams of Argentina and Spain, M. Rodriguez stumbled over a divot in the field and was carried off on a stretcher in the 16th minute of the game. He will undergo surgery on Monday.
It is worth mentioning that from the beginning of the match, attacks were accompanied by dust and sand balls, so the new Murcia stadium received a lot of criticism after this match.
Madrid Atletico coach Javier Aguirre said in a press conference: "The pitch was unsuitable. Maxi told me that neither Spain coach Luis Aragones nor Argentina coach Alfio Basile wanted to play this match. Apparently, due to the poor condition of the field, they did not train on this pitch before the match. Unfortunately, Maxi's injury is a blow to us. His loss is painful."
Madrid Real defender Roberto Carlos also expressed his opinion on this issue: "The Spanish federation should appoint people to check the condition of the pitches. It is better to wait before playing for the first time on a new field until the grass has properly grown."
M. Rodriguez is one of the main pillars of the Atletico team. The player scored three goals in 5 matches, and the Madrid Atletico team currently occupies the 5th place in the Spanish championship table, trailing the leader Barcelona by three points.
