Romero's Story So Far

Sergio Romero has had to contend with ups and downs throughout his career but his undoubted highlight came at Louis van Gaal’s expense during the 2014 World Cup semi-finals.

Van Gaal was the man who brought a largely unproven 20-year-old to Europe from Racing Club in Argentina and made him his first-choice goalkeeper at AZ Alkmaar. A key figure as the team surprisingly won the Eredivisie title in 2009, he followed it up with a run of 950 minutes without conceding a goal in the following campaign, only 107 minutes off the all-time Dutch record.

One game in the Champions League against Arsenal in 2009, when AZ earned an improbable 1-1 draw with a late equaliser, proved his fondness for the big stage. Robin van Persie was one of the Gunners left shaking his head that night as the keeper’s Man-of-the-Match performance upset Arsene Wenger’s side.

It is clear that van Gaal rates the South American highly, even forgiving him for a flash of temper in the tunnel following a cup exit to NAC Breda that saw him punch a door and break his hand. The injury could not have been more poorly timed as AZ embarked on the run-in to the title but his manager hid his own anger on the matter. “That is his Argentine temperament,” he reasoned. “It wasn’t smart of Sergio to vent his frustrations like this.”

Romero left the Netherlands after van Gaal departed for Bayern Munich, accepting a fresh challenge with Sampdoria in Italy’s Serie B. The Genoa-based side gained promotion back to the top flight with the Argentinian between the posts and he was a regular the following term before switching to Monaco on a season-long loan.

The move to the French Ligue 1 was a frustrating one as he lost out to Danijel Subasic for the no.1 slot. He later conceded: “It was an unusual year. Alex Sabella let me play for Argentina but I didn’t have the same luck with my club.” It has been something of a recurring theme for Romero, who is held in the highest esteem at international level.

An Olympic gold medallist from 2008, in addition to winning the Under-20 World Cup with his homeland, he kept goal for Diego Maradona’s team at the World Cup in all four games in South Africa. Four years later, Sabella displayed similar faith in the keeper, despite his lack of involvement at Monaco.

Deemed a potential weak link in a star-studded Argentina squad before a ball had been kicked, he proved any doubters wrong by performing superbly. One miraculous save in a nervous group win over Iran even prompted pop star Rihanna to tweet a message saying: ‘Romero is on point’!

The attention did not go to his head – he kept clean sheets in the knockout matches against Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. When a penalty shoot-out followed the semi-final stalemate in Sao Paulo, he would return to haunt van Gaal and destroy the Dutchman’s dreams of scooping the biggest prize of all.

Romero saved spot-kicks from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder, projecting himself into Argentinian folklore and earning ‘Hands of God’ headlines the morning after. Compared to previous hero Sergio Goycochea, he was perhaps almost seen as deserving of his mantle as the most-capped Argentine keeper ever, displacing 1978 World Cup-winner and legendary figure Ubaldo Fillol in top position.

Fillol was his idol. “When it comes to football, ‘El Pato’ is my father,” he stated. “Everything I’ve achieved is down to him. He’s the best Argentina has ever had. There shouldn’t be anyone who goes past him.”

Yet nobody was disputing Romero’s right to his own star billing on 9 July, 2004. Van Gaal protested: “I taught Romero how to stop penalties so that hurts. We were the club to bring him to Europe. He was a big talent and someone who has the qualities to do that.”

Romero sought the Netherlands coach amid the mixture of joy and despair at the Arena de Sao Paulo with the keeper remembering the part his former manager had played in helping him reach such a career high.

“I went to Louis to thank him because he helped me when I arrived in Holland,” he disclosed. “I went to a country where I didn’t understand a word of the language, he helped me and I’m thankful for everything he did for me. I know he said he ‘taught’ me to save penalties. The truth is that he teaches the players a lot, how to grow and pay more attention. From the first day in Holland, he said to me that the goalkeeper is one of the team, one of 11 players. He helped me to grow.”

Only a single shot from Germany’s Mario Gotze wrecked Romero and Argentina’s World Cup dream but his reputation had been hugely enhanced. Incredibly, this did not translate to his club football as he returned to Sampdoria after the loan at Monaco and, once again, was consigned to the bench.

Emiliano Viviano donned the gloves and the man who had achieved superstardom a couple of months earlier was left kicking his heels. “I can’t do this for much longer,” he conceded. “The same thing happened to me in France, arriving when the transfer window is nearly closed and having to wait for an opportunity.” Rumours were rife he had rejected a move to Old Trafford around that point, something he was quick to refute. “Many lies have been spread like that I refused a transfer to Manchester United,” he complained. “To me, something like that is crazy.”

He played 11 times in all, once in the Coppa Italia, and, predictably, did not renew his contract with the Serie A side, ensuring he became in the words of some media ‘one of the summer’s most attractive free agents’. The chance to link up with van Gaal again could not be passed up and he flew to the United States to seal his transfer to the Reds.

Nicknamed ‘Chiquito’ despite his 6ft 3in frame, not as an ironic joke but because his brothers are giants – particularly basketball-playing Diego - now is the perfect chance for Romero to stand tall once more and prepare to embrace the spotlight again.

Credit: Manutd.com