He left Newells and they called him “Flea”: no, we are not talking about Lionel Messi. The football career of Diego Quintana It went from highest to lowest. His beginnings were reflected by great successes from a very young age, but over time the name he knew wear the Argentine National Team shirt was lost.
For years and until now, “Quintanita” has taken life differently. While he was a soccer player he had an event that changed his spirituality and the way he looked at things. Although today he is a sports man, Quintana was away from what was one of his great passions for a long time: Do you remember the clubs he played in?
What was Diego Quintana’s football career like?
The player who played as a winger debuted in Newells Old Boys of Rosario in 1996. Quickly, a year later, the renowned coach of the Argentine National Team, Joseph Pekermansummoned the former player to be part of the roster that traveled to Malaysia U20 World Cup.
That World Cup is well remembered by Argentine fans, not only because of who the champion was, but also because of the number of stars that team had: Juan Román Riquelme, Pablo Aimar, Esteban Cambiasso, Diego Placente, Walter Samuel, among others. At the same time, within that squad there was also the champion coach with Argentina in Qatar 2022, Lionel Scaloniwho to this day shares a friendly relationship with Diego Quintana.
José Pekerman’s team had a great performance in the competition. In the group stage they defeated Holland and Canada, and they lost with Australia. Then, in the mata mata, they defeated England in Eighth, Brazil in the Quarterfinals and then beat Ireland in the Semifinal.
In the Final, Argentina was 0-1 on the scoreboard 15 minutes into the first half against Uruguay. Cambiasso scored the tie at 26, and then, at 43, the team turned the result around thanks to Diego Quintana. With the final 2-1, The National Team became champion for the 3rd time of the competition and Quintana was a fundamental participant thanks to his goal.
Returning to the club scene, the former player did not do badly in Newells. He was on the Rosario team from 1996 to 2001, played 140 games and scored 18 goals. From 2001 to 2004, Pulga was in Spanish football, more precisely in Murcia. Quintanita is well remembered in the club since, with 1.62, he scored a goal with a header. One of the club’s supporters clubs even bears his name.
Already in 2004, he returned to the country to play in Córdoba Institute (where it did not go well) and in 2005 he briefly passed through Barcelona of Guayaquil. In Ecuador he did not have much continuity on the team, but what he did have was a revealing experience that changed his life. “I remember going to a shopping mall and passing by a bookstore… I felt like a book was waiting for me, something woke up inside me and connected with spirituality,” the former player said in an interview in La Nación. The book in question is called “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” of Deepak Chopra. “That’s where my spiritual path began. “It allowed me to connect with Reiki and establish it as a life philosophy to manage the issue of emotions.”
In 2006, Pulga decided to pack his bags and went to live in Greece to play in the Skoda Xanthi FCclub in which he played until hanging up his boots in 2011 at 33 years old. Despite his retirement, the event that occurred in Ecuador continued to be a reason that mobilized the former champion player with the Argentine under 20 team.
What happened to Diego Quintana’s life after his retirement from football?
At first, Quintana was not interested in being related to the world of football. In turn, he explained that Reiki was of great help in that tense moment that all footballers experience: “Reiki helped me a lot in the transition. I was able to grieve in a different way than another footballer who feels that distance. In the first years, it happened to me that I didn’t want to know anything about football, I didn’t go to the field, I didn’t want to play a game, I felt it was a way of self-protection.”
His path in spirituality led him to do spiritual trips to Asia already also become Reiki teacher. As time went by, his childhood passion called him again and that is why he is currently dedicated to directing a team that plays in the Rosarina League: ADIUR.
His life is a testament to how sporting success can be just the beginning of an inner journey toward authenticity and spiritual fulfillment. The former champion with the Argentine National Team found in Reiki and spirituality not only a way of life, but also a vocation, dedicating his time to helping others find their own path to emotional and spiritual well-being.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
