In the end, the president of the AFA, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia He will not do anything different from what Julio Grondona did in his 35 years in charge of Argentine soccer: The continuity of Lionel Scaloni as technical director of the Argentine National Team will depend solely on the campaign he does or does not do in the next World Cup in Qatar.
The Copa América won over Brazil in Brazil in 2021, the current unbeaten record of 34 games and his good treatment with Lionel Messi and the rest of the squad will have secondary importance when it comes to decisions. In the eyes of Tapia and the leaders that make up the AFA Executive Committee, a campaign that takes the team to at least the semifinals will guarantee the continuity of the coach and his coaching staff for the 2022/2026 period. On the contrary, an early elimination in the quarterfinals or earlier will mean the end of the cycle that Scaloni opened in 2018., after the very bad Argentine participation in the World Cup in Russia. The decision will be impregnated with the crudest results but it should not surprise anyone: things have always been done like this in the field of the National Team.
Grondona had it very clear since his arrival at the Presidency of the AFA, on April 6, 1979. He fired César Luis Menotti after the National Team did not reach the final of the World Cup in Spain in 1982 and Carlos Bilardo, fired him ratified after the consecration in Mexico ’86 and let him go after the Subchampionship in Italy ’90. Alfio Basile and Daniel Passarella had to leave their positions after being eliminated in the second round of the World Cup in the United States in 1994 and in the quarterfinals of France ’98 respectively. Marcelo Bielsa survived his painful marginalization in the group stage of Korea-Japan 2002, but there was financial speculation in Grondona’s determination: he offered Bielsa a lower contract than any other applicant.
After Bielsa ran out of energy in 2004, José Pekerman came to replace him, but knowing what awaited him, he resigned before Grondona fired him, five minutes after being knocked out on penalties against Germany in 2006. Not even Diego Maradona’s aura was enough to resist him after the 0-4 win against Germany in the quarterfinals of South Africa 2010. And when Alejandro Sabella went around to notify him that he was not going to continue leading the National Team after the runner-up in Brazil 2014, death surprised Grondona, fifteen days after the lost final in the extension at the Maracana stadium.
Scaloni assumed that he could arrive in Qatar with good feelings regarding the renewal of his contract. But after his first proposal was rejected by the AFA, the negotiations have been interrupted and he has not been summoned again. Starting on November 22, when he faces Saudi Arabia in his debut, Scaloni will direct with two ungrateful certainties: none of all the good things he has done so far will be more important than the World Cup. And if the National Team does not reach at least the semifinals, it will be difficult for him to hold on to his position.
