Beijing - Javier Mascherano does not know who Dezso Novak is, but the Argentine and the Hungarian are linked by the invisible thread of two Olympic football golds. The Liverpool midfielder on Saturday won the second gold of his career, to add to Athens 2004 gold. Before that, Ferencvaros legend Novak had been the last to claim two football golds, in Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968.
"I knew I had the chance to do something that no one had achieved before. I am proud of it, because I am giving this to a country that loves football," Mascherano said after Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0 in the final.
Mascherano, 24, may not be the first to achieve the feat but he could be the last.
At the moment the Olympic tournament is open to players under 23, but each team is allowed to include three over-aged players in their squad.
FIFA president Joseph Blatter, however, wants to change this ruling and make the Olympic tournament open only for under-23 players and Blatter normally gets what he wants.
If the tournament is open only to under-23 players it seems unlikely that you will have players managing two gold medals in the future.
Three players representing Great Britain won gold in 1908 and 1912: Arthur Berry, Ronald Brebner and Vivian Woodward.
16 years later several Uruguayans repeated that triumph. Andres Mazali, Hector Scarone, Jose Leandro Andrade, Jose Nasazzi, Pedro Arispe, Pedro Cea, Pedro Petrone and Santos Urdinara won gold in Paris 1924 and repeated that triumph in Amsterdam four years later.
Forty years went by before Novak followed on their footsteps, and another four decades later Mascherano added his name to the list.
However, Novak remains above the rest with a third Olympic medal, the bronze in Rome 1960.
A serene and happy Mascherano added: "Today is a historic day for me. Whatever happens in my career from now on I will never forget it. I have made a great effort to be here, and it was worth it."
Twice a runner-up at the Copa America and a quarter-finalist at the Germany 2006 World Cup, Mascherano made his debut with the senior Argentine national team before he played his first match with his club, River Plate?
Mascherano was key to the Argentine gold in Beijing.
"I felt good, the team grew during the tournament. We had our best performance in the first half against the Netherlands and in the game against Brazil," he said of the quarters and the semis.
However, things were different in the final, played in extreme heat and humidity in Beijing.
"We did not play well. The climate had a lot to do with it, and we suffered until the last minute," Mascherano admitted.
Still, the midfielder was very happy with his second gold medal.
"Now I am going to try to improve, but what I have already lived through is quite something. Today I thought of my wife, of my daughter. This is especially for her, because she was still not born when I won in Athens," he said.
Mascherano showed a sensitivity to the overall atmosphere at the Olympics.
"The Games are the utmost celebration of sport, and having been at two is a privilege, particularly these which were the best in history," he explained.
Although football is always somewhat relegated at the Olympics and only reaches the Olympic stadium on the day of the final, Mascherano said he made the most of the experience and he praised Beijing.
"We were very far away, but we tried to make the most of every second. I was struck by the organization, how they took care of every detail. They have done very well. And we have seen unusual things like that achieved by Michael Phelps. That is why these Games will go down in history."
