“There’s Scaloneta for a while!”, Claudio Tapia confirmed in the final on Tuesday night a bombshell news: Scaloni will continue four more years after Qatar. “I am proud to tell you that we have arranged the continuity of Lionel Scaloni as DT of Argentina until the 2026 World Cup. We continue to bet on the comprehensive national team project,” she wrote on Twitter with a photo of a hug to illustrate this long-awaited information.
Scaloni’s conference video
As in a two-way or simultaneous play, Lionel Scaloni had begun to flesh out this announcement: “It is a special and emotional moment for the entire coaching staff because we have closed a four-year cycle,” he commented at the start of the conference press release after Jamaica’s 3-0 win.
Scaloni with Tapia and Tato Pagano, the Selection’s photographer.
There was, of course, a staging to deactivate any previous doubt about the desire or what the DT would do after the World Cup: “Of course. Who is not going to want to continue”, assured. “With the president -Claudio Tapia- I have the best relationship. We had meetings. The desire is there, the predisposition too, more with the group that is offered in this way.”
Scaloni’s relationship with the National Team ends after the World Cup. What you have to see is when he signs the renewal. “The signature is not important. What is to come is important, something stressful”responded a coach who has the endorsement of the group, the affection of the fans and the leadership support to shape his second cycle at the head of the Scaloneta.
The continuity of Scaloni not only has the endorsement of the leadership but mainly of the group. Minutes after the news was confirmed, the players went out to bench the DT: “Scaloni is very important to us, he is the head of this group. He is one of the main architects of all this that was achieved,” said De Paul.
Scaloni’s cycle that began as an internship reaches this moment with the hallmark of a consolidated process, with 49 games, with 32 wins, 13 draws and 4 losses, with an undefeated 35 games, with the second leg at the Maracana in the Cup America, with the Finalissima and with the illusion generated by Qatar.
Other phrases by Scaloni
The 3-0 to Jamaica: “Regarding today’s match, it was difficult because Jamaica is a very physical team and it helped us to test and vary the system. But above all, the balance of these two friendlies is positive because the team strengthened its line of play knowing what to do in each moment of an encounter.
The project: “And in that work there are cases such as the summons of Thiago Almada who has the conditions to be with us although many are surprised. And for that reason he will be in consideration for this World Cup, but if not, because of his youth he has a huge future as to be further ahead,” he said.
The expectations: “Like Qatar I don’t go with my chest inflated because there are great teams, but we managed to make Lionel Messi and his teammates feel comfortable and ultimately where “Lío” is best is on the pitch. And that’s why it will be difficult to put together the list definitive of 26 members”.
Messi: “And you have to enjoy Messi, because as happened with Roger Federer in tennis, when everyone found out that he was retiring they already started to miss him, and that’s going to happen with him.
