He wasn’t consistent, but he was unforgettable: a perennial prodigy.
Ariel Ortega. El Burrito. Which, surprisingly, translates as The Little Donkey. Argentinian nicknames never cease to amaze but, then again, neither do the players.
Ortega was a player with the ball tied to his imagination, always chasing the next flicker of freedom on the pitch. He played as though he was always trying to escape something: defenders, systems and, as later became evident, himself.
He sparkled at River Plate as a youngster, winning four league titles and a Copa Libertadores. Sampdoria threw £8m at him immediately after they sold Juan Sebastián Verón. Curiously, Lazio then bought Ortega for £10m after they sold Verón to Manchester United and needed a replacement.
But it was on the international stage where Ortega really caught the eye. First, at the 1994 World Cup, where it became evident he was being groomed to take over from Maradona as the team’s lynchpin, and then at the 1998 World Cup, where he became the main man.
In England, he’ll be remembered for twisting their players inside out. He nutmegged Scholes, Ince, Le Saux and Adams (twice). He also overhit so many through balls that it was as though decorating games was all he cared about rather than deciding them.
Holland followed England in what seemed like an easier matchup for the Argentinians. With Holland down to 10 men, Ortega was harshly booked for diving after a Jaap Stam foul, but instead of taking his medicine he headbutted Edwin van der Sar. Two minutes later Dennis Bergkamp scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history. To say Ortega pissed the bed would be an understatement.
Everything about Ortega was unpredictable, alive. He flickered rather than sparkled in Europe. He returned to Argentina, but there was to be no true redemptive arc, no late Copa Libertadores glory. Maradona recalled him to the national squad 17 years after his debut, but at club level he drifted, struggling badly with alcoholism. Genius rarely travels in straight lines.
He wasn’t consistent, but he was unforgettable: a perennial prodigy.
Ariel Ortega was never the next Maradona. He was the only Ortega.
Wild. Flawed. Irresistible.
Ariel Ortega. One of one.
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