2023-11-22 04:47:38
The Argentine coach, Lionel Scaloni, left his permanence in office in doubt this Tuesday, in the press conference he gave following Argentina’s historic 0-1 victory over Brazil in the classic played at the Maracaná for the South American qualifiers.
“I want some time to think because this team needs a coach who has all the energy possible,” said the coach who made Argentina world champion in Qatar 2022 and Copa América champion in 2021.
Scaloni made the announcement when answering the last question of the press conference and his response fell like a bombshell for Argentine journalists, especially because the coach did not want to give more details or explanations when asked if he was thinking regarding resigning.
“Now it’s time to stop the ball and start thinking. I have a lot to think regarding during this time. These players have given us a lot and I need to think,” said the coach when referring to the period that opens until the next qualifying matches, in September of next year.
“It’s not goodbye. I need to think because the bar is very high,” added Scaloni, referring to the fact that he is increasingly under pressure, especially following the historic defeat that Argentina suffered on Thursday once morest Uruguay in La Bombonera.
STRONG STATEMENT FROM SCALONI
????️ “One important thing I wanted to say is that I want to stop the ball, start thinking regarding this time. I need to think a lot regarding what I’m going to do, it’s not goodbye or anything else but I need to think because the bar is very high and it’s very complicated … pic.twitter.com/QYxJU3aRoO
— Diario Olé (@DiarioOle) November 22, 2023
This Tuesday’s victory over its traditional rival allowed Argentina to remain the leader in the 2026 World Cup qualifying classification and plunge Brazil into a huge crisis, which had never lost three games in a row in qualifying and never played at home. .
Scaloni highlighted the dedication of his players
Scaloni stated that his players know that they form an unbeatable team when they are competitive like this Tuesday.
“It is an enormous pride to lead these kids and have a group like this. The bar is very high. The other day we lost but today we competed once more. And that is what we ask of them. Compete. By competing in this way they know that they are a team difficult,” said the coach in a press conference following the classic.
He added that the current members of the Argentine team have demonstrated several times that their trademark is commitment and character, which is what the technical commission asks of them and what helped them to be crowned world champions in Qatar.
Although Brazil had more scoring opportunities and dominated much of the match, Scaloni said that Argentina played the match as planned and scored at the right time, in the 62nd minute with a header from Otamendi.
“We scored at the right time. It’s not easy to score here and that’s why we’re very happy,” he said.
Although he clarified that nothing compares to winning a World Cup, he assured that this Tuesday’s victory was very important for confirming Argentina as the leader of the qualifying rounds and for being once morest a rival that had never lost a match at home in this tournament.
The behavior of Lionel Messi also stood out, who played despite having adductor problems. “He is the only player in the world who can play in the conditions in which he did, with a discomfort. He played until he might,” he stated.
According to Scaloni, the victory was also valuable because it occurred in difficult conditions, as violent incidents in the stands before the match left the Argentine players worried.
“Some had close relatives in the stadium and did not know if they were there. In those conditions the game is very difficult,” he said.
The coach denied that his players had decided to withdraw from the match to protest the attacks once morest the Argentine fans and clarified that they only wanted to go to the locker room to take some time while the situation calmed down.
“It was a bit to calm things down and find out if there were family members. I didn’t understand what was happening and when they explained it to me I considered it understandable that they wanted to wait for the situation to calm down before returning. The referee understood it and so did the Brazilian players,” he said. .
Scaloni said that more than being surprised by the incident, it made him sad, especially because it was a match that was watched around the world, and added that he does not understand why the Brazilian authorities did not isolate the Argentine fans in a stand, as would be normal in any another place.
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