Argentinian striker Darío Benedetto is candidly reflecting on a career that has spanned multiple countries and faced both soaring highs and recent struggles. The 35-year-old, most notably linked with Boca Juniors where he scored 71 goals in 172 appearances across two stints, recently opened up about considering retirement and the personal challenges that have shaped his journey. In a wide-ranging interview with ESPN, Benedetto detailed his battles with form, club conflicts, and the enduring power of therapy in navigating a arduous period in his professional life.
At 35 years old, striker Darío Benedetto is nearing the end of his professional soccer career. While he enjoyed his most impactful seasons with Boca Juniors, coming within reach of glory in the 2018 Copa Libertadores, the Argentinian forward has recently struggled to find the back of the net with stints at Querétaro in Mexico, Olimpia in Paraguay, and Newell’s. In fact, his last goal came on February 5, 2024, while playing for Xeneize against Tigre. Benedetto seriously considered retirement, but therapy helped him reconsider. “I want to retire well,” he confessed in a revealing interview with ESPN.
The attacker, who previously played for Arsenal, Defensa y Justicia, Gimnasia de Jujuy, Xolos de Tijuana, and América, terminated his contract with Lepra following the departure of manager Ogro Fabbiani in late October and currently holds his own transfer rights. “It wasn’t soccer that bothered me, it was certain maneuvers that have crept into the game today. Conflicts within clubs, business dealings… But I will always love soccer. That’s what made me who I am. I will never stop loving it. I want to keep playing. I almost retired, but I’ve been working through it with therapy – something I’ve been doing for six years – and I want to extend it, I want to retire well. I advise all players to go to therapy.”
Benedetto stated he is “calm, enjoying his vacation, playing paddle tennis” and remains connected to the soccer world, even participating in a charity match for a local club this Tuesday.
The Pipa suffered a defining loss early in his career with the death of his mother at age 12. “I lost her while watching me play a soccer game. It all happened at halftime. I was playing. The championship was on the line. She played soccer, didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, and suffered a cardiac arrest at 40 years old. My mother was always a pillar, she lifted me up during tough times, I always looked up to her. It’s something life puts in your path, and you have to learn to live with it,” he shared in a heartfelt account.
He went on to explain that she followed the beginnings of a career that would take him to play in various countries: “My father and I went everywhere together. That’s why it hit me so hard. It was quite complicated. My sister was 8 and my brother 14, and my older sister was already living with her partner. That made me stronger, and you get used to other things.”
*Calls from Riquelme and Benedetto to return to Boca*
Later, he provided details of his second stint at Boca Juniors, which included two calls from the current president within a six-month span. “I didn’t experience anything like I felt at Boca anywhere else. That’s why, when I went to Elche, I called Román, who had called me six months prior, and told him I had two offers from Spanish soccer: Betis and Elche. I told him I wanted to experience what it felt like to play in Spanish soccer, because I had never had the opportunity. Then, I called Román again and told him: ‘I’m missing Boca.’ And he opened the doors for me and said: ‘Boca is your home.’” After his first spell between 2016 and 2019, he completed his return in early 2022, finishing with 71 goals in 172 appearances.
Darío Benedetto spoke about his most recent cycle at Newell’s and revealed that negotiations to arrive in Rosario began with a message from – now, former coach – Cristian Fabbiani on social media: “He sent me a message on Instagram… He said: ‘I need a 9, are you in?’ I swear to God. He didn’t even say hello. After that, I replied, we started talking, and I thought they wouldn’t let me leave Olimpia.”
MORE STATEMENTS FROM DARÍO BENEDETTO
His contentious departure from Newell’s: “Wow, a lot happened. When the Ogro (Fabbiani) left, it hit me hard. I was surprised that an interim manager (Lucas Bernardi) wouldn’t consider me and made decisions over the president’s head. That’s when you realize how the club is run. I didn’t like it at all, I talked to Lucas. I told him I was surprised that an interim manager would tell me he wasn’t going to count on me when he was only in charge for three games, it was a terrible time and I wanted to step up. There was a spectacular group. I told him I wouldn’t cause problems, I was there to contribute. Then Lucas tells me: ‘The option is to train with the Reserves.’ I found that disrespectful, and I told him so. I told him that if he didn’t want me to train with him, I would stay getting massages and drinking mate in the utility room, while I spoke to whoever I needed to arrange my contract.”
*Details of Benedetto’s departure from Newell’s*
His fandom for Boca Juniors: “My idol at Boca was Martín (Palermo). In Boca’s golden age, it was everyone. I caught the era of Bianchi, I was 8/9 years old when he played against Real Madrid. I dreamed of becoming a professional, playing soccer. Then, I had the dream of playing at Boca and for the National Team. Getting to Arsenal was an incredible achievement. After that, everything that happened exceeded my expectations. I never imagined the career I had.”
The unknown conversation with Tano Angelici and the offer from Pipa that was not accepted to continue at Boca: “When the issue of my transfer came up, I wanted to leave, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. I didn’t want to leave Boca. In fact, the Tano (Angelici, president at the time) called me to his house, we talked and I told him: ‘Well, let’s do one thing. Of what they’re offering me… I’ll retire at Boca.’ He told me it was impossible and I told him: ‘I’ll leave everything in your hands.’ It was impossible to match the offer, I was aware of that. Money wasn’t everything, I told him a lower amount, and he told me it was something he couldn’t do. I was 29 years old and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.”
The origin of the phrase “Happy nights, sad mornings” that he would have said to Diego Martínez in his last days at Boca: “I was in a… We had a conversation with Diego as soon as he arrived. The two of us agreed on one thing: that we connected more because of who you are as a person. It was an annoyance and I don’t remember saying that. They gave me a mug with that phrase. I was playing truco… You know who used to say that phrase to us? (Javier) Valdecantos (fitness coach for Guillermo Barros Schelotto). When someone was feeling down, he would say: ‘Happy nights, sad mornings, come on, come on, move.’ That’s where it stuck. It was true, because I had celebrated my birthday, it was happy, then I was dead tired the next morning.”
His negative scoring streak and criticism of Diego Martínez’s system of play: “To get out of the streak, first, I need scoring opportunities. If you don’t have them, you’re in trouble. In the recent past at Boca, I didn’t have scoring opportunities. I had them in penalties. The first of the last ones I missed was against Corinthians… The team in general wasn’t creating situations, but you have to have a clear head and put them away.”
*Benedetto’s pain over the death of his mother*
Praise for Miguel Merentiel and Edinson Cavani: “Miguel is an animal, he’s one of those guys who doesn’t give up on a ball. He’s unbearable. And Cavani? A crazy professional, enviable. The way he trains, the professionalism he has.”
His praise for Claudio Úbeda, current DT of Boca Juniors: “Very good, he lifted them up, made a change. I think we gave it to him when we lost 5-0 to Newell’s, haha. That’s when Boca started to improve. It did him good. I watched the derby. When I was there, Boca was being told they had to throw themselves headfirst, but the game wasn’t working for us. Boca hasn’t played a derby like the last one with River for a long time. They dominated them in all areas of the field. The players started to understand each other and started to play better.”
His desire to continue in soccer: “I want to keep playing, I don’t know for how long. I’m 35, I feel good. I’m sure I have at least one more year, and then, if I feel good… I’m not leaving Argentina. I wouldn’t go to the interior, I want to be closer to my children. What club could I go to? I’m going to lean more towards clubs that don’t have conflicts. I spent the last three years arguing. Olimpia, Newell’s… The only thing I appreciate is the group in each club I was in. I’m at an age where I want to enjoy playing soccer. The last time I enjoyed it was in Querétaro. I love the Mexicans, the club was calm, they pampered me.”
