Overview

• The World Cup winner says he will rejoin professional competition in October with Padova in Italy's Serie B after completing a two-year suspension.
• In new interviews, he praises Lionel Scaloni's player management, highlighting a post-2018 renewal that surrounded Lionel Messi with hungry, talented teammates.
• He recounts a close bond with Scaloni from their Atalanta days, describing how they lived in the same neighborhood and handled daily life together.
• Gómez says he recommended Cristian 'Cuti' Romero when Scaloni was seeking a left-sided center back, noting Romero's subsequent national-team call-up.
• He describes months of isolation and work with psychologists during the ban and insists he will not retire now, emphasizing his wish to choose his exit on his own terms.