Francisco de Narváez Jr.

Francisco De Narváez, who bears the same name as his father: businessman and possible future candidate to the Governorship of Buenos Aires, has earned himself a place in the highest league, of which he is part by playing in one of the big teams since the Merloses asked him to join them in 2004. And of him they say that he is as though he were a fo

urth brother, a more affectionate reference than what several of his opponents would endow him with ... "

What is your answer to those who accuse you of being a dangerous player?"

"Last year a banner of "Dangerous" was hung around my neck ... When it was Nachi (Heguy) who almost ki11ed me. I may be tough playing, but I am certainly not badly intended. I have to put up with it; then the season ends and that banner will be hung around someone else's neck. I'm not resentful, nor am I complaining or anything. I1'l1 blow over."

"Don't you feel restricted on the field with that sign up?"

"No, because I'm not dangerous. I have no bad intention; I was never badly intended. There are any amount of guy¡ who dislike being touched. If I had their skill with the ball, I wouldn't go for them. But that is the reason why one is in defence and the other is a forward: I'm not going to watch them go by all afternoon. The big difference is the intention: it' s very difficult to judge. I know who is badly intended and who isn't, but I can't declare 'he did such-and-such a thing on purpose', or 'he overdid it'. My intentions are not bad. I certainly playa tough game. Take Pepe (Heguy); it bothen them all, but what am I to do? It must be that my strong point is to be in defence: doing what bothers them.

"Within the rules ... "

"Within the rules, yes. Otherwise they should chuck me out, or] should be suspended. 1've never be en suspended."

"How do you feel being a non-Merlos in El Paraíso?"

"Wonderful. I would be a non-something in any team, because there are brothers in all of them, and I don't have any playing at this level. So I don't even think about it, and it doesn't bother me in the least."

"Why aren't you shooting the penalties?"

"Tincho is feeling very confident and shooting them very well. On the day he's uncomfortable 1'11 shoot them. The important thing is that they go in, not whether he or I shoot them. So long as they go in, 1'm quite happy about it."

"With an 8 goal rating, you're like someone that's been forgot­ten by the High Goal Sub-Committee. How interested are YOlJ in reaching 9 or 10 goals?"

"In the US I've been playing 9 goals for a long time. I thin1 the Sub - Committee nowadays arranges the handicaps in order to put together the zones (of the tournaments). They are completely wrong in their idea of handicap being individual, because in the high goal it is team handicap. Juan Martín Nero doesn't play 8 goals, it's a joke. But Chapaleufú wasn'j winning, so they say 'we can't put Bauti (Heguy) down. Leti put Marcos down.' And Marcos doesn't bother anyone with le goals. They raise Matías Mac Donough's handicap, and that'¡ OK; but not Nero. Nero plays two goals more than Matías ... they' re making a big mistake. Because it' s not individual; it' i completely a group handicap. So it's all wrong. And if it's aL wrong, why would I complain?"