Following the departure of Argentinean attacker Matias Esquivel, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed that the player suffered a lot in South Africa.
Esquivel has joined Greek outfit Kifisia on loan after struggling to break into the team. The left-footed player was signed during Rulani Mokwena's era at Sundowns and this is the second time he has been loaned out by the Tshwane giants since signing for the club in January 2024.
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He will now have an opportunity to get more playing minutes, featuring just three times when he returned from a loan spell in South America in January this year. In total, he made 16 appearances for Sundowns since joining them.
"I can speak about Matias, it's not a problem. Matias is a player that came to Sundowns not with me, but with Rulani Mokwena. So if he did not have chances and he didn't succeed, it was on that time he went (back) to Argentina. I have nothing with him coming to the club. It's not to put pressure on me regarding Matias Esquivel," Cardoso said to media during the MTN8 press conference held at the PSL headquarters in Parktown, Johannesburg, on Thursday.
"But Matias is a very good player and you will succeed where he will go. I also didn't give him playing minutes. It was not only coach Rulani. Me also. We didn't give him any chances. But maybe for different reasons because I don't know what happened before. Matias also didn't wasn't constant in telling me that he wants to play. And that is said by training hard, better than the other players. You need to understand that a player to play must show in the training sessions that he is better than the ones that are playing in the same position."
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"I respect the players who don't play more than the ones who play, because those ones they arrive at home and they want to give love to their families, but they are sad. Matias suffered a lot here. He suffered a lot in this club and there is a moment where the context is already not a context for him to be here. He is a quality player and no one should doubt that. But because of what happened before with coach Rulani that he didn't play...and now he came (back) in December and we had expectations that he could play but the other ones became better than him and they gave him no chances, like I gave him no chances. There were others I gave chances to show they were better than him. He was suffering. His wife didn't want to come back. His kids didn't want to come back."
Sundowns will take on Soweto giants Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 first leg semi-final at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
