Player Focus: Iturbe proving European pedigree on second chance

Juan Manuel Iturbe was born in Buenos Aires in 1993. He grew up in Villa 21, a slum in the Barracas barrio. His father, also called Juan, was a bricklayer. His mother Miriam helped out in a local pharmacy. They were from Paraguay and had moved to Argentina for a better life.

These were hard times. The Iturbes had swapped one economic crisis for another. “[Villa 21] was a very dangerous quarter, just like Fuerte Apache, the place where Carlos Tevez is from,” Iturbe recalled in La Gazzetta dello Sport. “There was poverty, misery and what do they bring? Violence.”

Still, kids did what they do. They found ways to have fun despite their surroundings. Reflecting on that time, Iturbe describes himself as “an earthquake,” leaving you with the impression of a modern day ‘Bam Bam’ from the Flintstones. “I played football everywhere,” he told the pink paper. “It’s the only thing I know how to do… I liked maths at school but often fell asleep in class.”

Iturbe didn’t get to finish his education in Argentina. When his parents returned to Paraguay, he followed. It meant that when his talent for football really began to emerge while coming through the ranks at Cerro Porteño, the club with whom he made his professional debut at only 16, the choice he made as to which country he’d represent – Argentina or Paraguay – almost provoked a diplomatic incident. Iturbe had played for Paraguay at youth level, but his formative years in Argentina had made an impression on him. He felt Argentine. So he accepted a call up to play for them at youth level too.

At the airport ready to fly to Buenos Aires, Iturbe was stopped at the gate by a pair of policemen. They showed him a fax from the Paraguayan Football Federation. He was forbidden from leaving the country. Iturbe turned around and went home. Three days later another fax arrived at casa Iturbe. It granted him permission to go to Argentina. There was quite the hoohah. Iturbe, though, isn’t a persona non grata in Paraguay. “But if I ever had to play in Asuncion, I’d perhaps need a helmet.”

He must have been some prospect for Argentina and Paraguay to be squabbling over him. There was a lot of hype. Iturbe was arguably the first ‘new Messi’. It’s a tag that has followed him throughout his young career much to his annoyance. “I don’t like how every time people talk to me or about me, we end up talking about Leo,” he says. “I am Iturbe. I’m not looking to copy Messi.”

The comparisons inevitably led to high expectations. Meeting them was nigh on impossible. His €4m move to Porto three years ago was a disappointment. Loaning him to River Plate at this stage last season led to the assumption that he wasn’t ready for Europe, perhaps it was all too much, too soon. It looked like Porto were ready to give up on him. The signing of Juan Quintero from Pescara this summer seemed to spell the end for Iturbe. He was sent on loan again, this time to promoted Hellas in Serie A.

Though still only 20, Iturbe was received as an unfulfilled promise. It was a low risk gamble [remember there was no fee to pay] with a high potential upside. How it has paid off. Is there any wonder Barbara Berlusconi wanted – but so far didn’t get – Hellas’ director of sport Sean Sogliano to oversee Milan’s player recruitment?

Iturbe scored and was named Man of the Match both by Gazzetta and WhoScored with a rating of 8.87 on his first start in Serie A against Livorno. A week later, he showed it was no flash in the pan. His performance at Bologna received a 10 from WhoScored. Running from the half-way line, Iturbe scored again, once more from outside the box before setting up Luca Toni in a 4-1 win, Hellas’ first at the Renato Dall’Ara since 1978. He had Serie A’s attention. If Hellas don’t take up their option to sign Iturbe for €15m at the end of this season, someone else will be calling Porto, with Roma apparently on hold. The only player aged 20 or under than him (7.50) with a better average WhoScored rating in Serie A this season is Paul Pogba (7.73).

Making the headlines again before and after the Christmas break with another couple of goals in wins against Lazio and Udinese, where Iturbe has really impressed is in the unpredictability and sense of invention the cheeky chappy brings to Hellas’ attack. Only Fiorentina’s Juan Cuadrado [4.3 per game] and Inter’s Ricky Alvarez [3.8] have made more successful dribbles than he has [3.1] in Serie A this season.

There’s an end product to his game too. He doesn’t just score goals [5], he sets up chances as well. Iturbe has found a teammate with all 3 of his through ball attempts this season. Only one Serie A player has a 100% success rate with more through ball attempts and that’s Milan’s Ricky Kaká. So if you’re wondering how veteran striker Luca Toni is turning back the years this season with 9 goals, look no further than Iturbe. He’s the player putting the bullets in the chamber for the coolhand to fire.

If Toni is a .44 Magnum, Iturbe, as the goal against Bologna demonstrated is, has proven himself more a sniper. Along with Fiorentina’s Giuseppe Rossi, he has scored more goals from outside the box than anyone else [4]. Monday’s strike against Udinese was his first from inside the area, while only Andrea Pirlo and Daniele Conti [3] have had more success from direct free-kicks than he has [2].

Tactically Iturbe seems to have a clear understanding of what’s expected of him. “I’m free to go where I want when we develop the play ourselves. I start from the right, but then, if I see some space, I move into the middle of the pitch to take advantage of Toni’s movement – he can take two defenders with him – and go for goal or give him an assist like against Bologna.”

It may come as a surprise to those who followed Iturbe at Porto, but he has turned into a team player. “I am learning many new things,” he explains. “I wasn’t used to tracking back to help the team. For me it’s fulfilling. I like scoring goals, but the team comes first: helping Toni score is my principal objective.”

Maintain that attitude and keep playing the way he is – his off-the-bench performance on Monday was remarkable considering he was involved in a car crash back in Paraguay over Christmas – and, you never know, he might be an outside bet for a place in Argentina’s squad for the World Cup in Brazil. Expect to see Alejandro Sabella in the stands at the Bentegodi at some stage between now and the end of the season.