Armenian national team forward Norberto Briasco Balekian did not play in Gimnasia y Esgrima’s recent match against Unión. However, his absence was not due to injury—the coaching staff, led by Diego Flores, decided to leave the forward out of the squad for tactical reasons.
Briasco remains at the club’s disposal and may play in the next match on March 11 against Deportivo Riestra. Additionally, he is still a candidate for a call-up to the Armenian national team for the upcoming matches against Georgia.
According to the Argentine outlet Infocielo.com, Diego Flores’ decision to leave Balekian out of the squad was purely football-related. The coach assessed the player’s recent performances and decided not to include him in the lineup. This is not the first time Flores has made such a decision—previously, he also left out Ivo Mammini, despite the fact that Mammini had played a few minutes against Lanús.
The head coach of Gimnasia aims to foster healthy competition within the team, encouraging players to train at their maximum potential. Briasco, who has faced similar situations before, now has to prove his worth on the field to regain the coaching staff’s trust.
It is worth noting that Norberto Balekian is on loan at Gimnasia y Esgrima from Boca Juniors until December 2025, while his contract with Boca runs until December 2026.
In his time at Gimnasia y Esgrima, Briasco has played 14 matches and scored 1 goal.
Briasco’s Journey at Gimnasia
Norberto Briasco’s career at Gimnasia has been inconsistent. Since joining the club, he has struggled to maintain a consistently high level of performance. Moreover, there have been instances where he was left out of the squad due to conflicts with the coaching staff.
The first such incident occurred under Marcelo Méndez, who repeatedly excluded Briasco from the squad. A similar situation happened during the tenure of interim coach Fernando Zaniratto. These events made the player consider a move to another club, but with Diego Flores’ arrival, Briasco decided to stay and fight for his place in the team.
Despite initially promising to improve his performance, after being included in the squad for three consecutive matches, Briasco has once again been left out. Now, he faces the difficult challenge of proving that he deserves to be part of the team.
The upcoming match between Gimnasia y Esgrima and Deportivo Riestra will be an opportunity for Briasco to regain the coach’s trust. Additionally, he has a potential call-up to the Armenian national team, where he will also aim to prove himself.
In Argentina, the league will pause from March 17 to March 30, giving the player time to work on himself and prepare for upcoming challenges. Now, it remains to be seen whether Norberto Briasco Balekian can seize this opportunity and reclaim his place in both his club and national team.