Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, assured this Sunday who doesn’t know “what they think” the crack Lionel Messi and Angel Di María regarding their continuities in the team once the Qatar 2022 World Cup is overand asked that people enjoy them “now” without thinking so much about the future.
“After playing a World Cup, everyone makes appraisals. I’m not in the head of Messi and Di María, I don’t know what they think, we have to enjoy them now. You have to stay with that, you don’t have to think about the future,” Scaloni said at a press conference from the AFA premises.
“Why think about the future if there is a spectacular present? There’s a long way to go, there’s still a World Cupyou have to enjoy them, it doesn’t make much sense. One day it will happen that they are no longer”added the Argentine coach.
“We are going to train in the afternoon and then we will begin to outline the team for Tuesday”, he pointed Scaloni facing the duel with Ecuador in Guayaquil, for the closing day of the continental qualifying.
Very well predisposed in each of the questions, Scaloni made reference to Messi’s statements after the 3-0 win against Venezuelawho slipped that he will “rethink some things” after Qatar 2022, and Di María’s post on Instagram, where he assured that last Friday in La Bombonera he played his last game in the country with the albiceleste jacket.
“I did not see the post, but I understand that it will be about this year. I spoke with him a long time ago, if these players want to leave the National Team, let him be the coach on duty and not them. Of course there is a question of age, many games and trips on top, but the decision always has to be made by the coach, and he is aware; I hope he said it about this year,” the former Newell’s Old Boys defender noted.
Youth to Senior
On the other handthe santafesino trainer He mentioned Julián Alvarez, River Plate striker, whom he referred to as “the fashionable man or boy”regarding his possible inclusion as a starter in the last match of the South American Qualifiers against Ecuador.
“We adore him. Just because he doesn’t play from the start doesn’t mean we don’t trust him.. On the contrary. He is a great player and is availablelike the 23 we have,” Scaloni assured.
Scaloni also assured that the coaching staff “does not look at the player’s document” to summon them, regarding the inclusion of several youth for the last double day of the South American Qualifiers.
“If we think he has the level to play, he will do so at 17, 18 or 35 years old. The goal is for these youths to wear the Major League shirt. In the future, when we are not here, that the National Team continues to feed on those players,” he said.
“At the number level we are just for the match with Ecuador. If there is a problem, we will go to them. Until I know how the others are, I don’t know what changes there may be,” Scaloni said.
defined scheme
In a team analysis, Scaloni stated that Argentina feels “comfortable with three midfielders, one vertical and two forwards”, although repaired that “Not all matches will be like against Venezuela.”
“There are many things that we must consolidate, that I am not going to say. All teams have them, even the almost perfect ones. Now everything is going smoothly, but we have to be prepared for when that doesn’t happen.”assumed.
Regarding the World Cup, Scaloni expressed: “Not having the chance to prepare it as usual is something new for everyone. We will try to negotiate with the clubs, thanks to the good relationship we have, to try to get the players to arrive in the best possible way”.
And he also added: “I am going to the draw, and the Argentine National Team will focus on Qatar University. You can sleep there and the training place is very close. We are doing the analysis of the rivals, When the draw is over, you have to start working to see how they play and the possibility of going to see them, which everyone does. In principle we have seen them.”
The love of the fans
Argentina, champion of the Copa América 2021 and qualified prior to the Qatar 2022 World Cup, he won respect and the sympathy of the fans. In that assessment, the coach obtained a lot of consensus, to the point that people refer to the selected one as “La Scaloneta”but that term makes the coach himself “uncomfortable”.
“It fills me with pride that people feel identified with the team. ‘La Scaloneta’ makes me uncomfortable. I appreciate the love of the peoplebut it makes me uncomfortable. If people like it feels identified it’s fine”.
In that line, he remarked: “We are here to compete with the best teams. It is easy to say that we are candidates, but I would be lying; what we are going to compete, there are no doubts” expressed Scaloni, who thus avoided the nickname of candidate for the title in the World Cup.
A World Cup without Italy
Finally, the selector considered “undeserved” the elimination of Italy -his rival for the friendly next June 1 In England- in the European playoff for Qatar 2022.
“Football is so difficult that Italy was undeservedly left out. And it shows how complicated this is. In addition to being a great team, they play well. It’s what football has. The match against them will be difficult, it does not change at all whether they are in the World Cup or not. He will continue to be a selected level”Scaloni concluded.