Lionel Scaloni hints at leaving Argentina job

FE Team | Published: November 22, 2023 21:34:00

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 22 (Agencies): Argentina's World Cup-winning coach Lionel Scaloni made the stunning admission that he was contemplating walking away from his position after his team achieved the rare feat of beating Brazil on Nov 21.
His shocking pronouncement came out of nowhere during his press conference at the Maracana, after Argentina had beaten their rivals 1-0 to stay top of the South American qualifying standings for the 2026 World Cup.
"Argentina need a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well... I need to stop the ball and start thinking. I have a lot of things to think about during this time," Scaloni, who took no questions, said in his opening remarks.
"These players have given a lot to the coaching staff and I need to think a lot about what I'm going to do.
"It's not goodbye or anything, but I need to think because the bar is very high and it's complicated to keep going and it's complicated to keep winning.
"These guys are making it difficult, so I need to think about it for a while. I will talk to the FA president and the players."
The 45-year-old took over as coach in 2018 and led Argentina to the Copa America title in 2021 - their first major trophy since the 1993 edition - before the Albiceleste landed their third global title in Qatar in 2022.
His captain Lionel Messi retired from the international game in 2016 before returning to reassume the huge burden of expectation of success from a country where football has been likened to a religion.
"We are sure and hope that Scaloni will continue," said Argentina defender Cristian Romero.
"He will have time to think. He didn't say anything in the dressing room about it. We will try to convince him."
Messi, meanwhile, accused the Brazilian police of brutality as the start of their qualifier was delayed by half an hour after clashes between police and visiting fans.
Brazilian and Argentinian fans started fighting behind one of the goals during the national anthems, prompting police to charge at the travelling contingent with batons drawn.
Some Argentina fans responded by ripping up and throwing seats at the officers, as other fans panicked and came onto the pitch to escape the fighting.
One Argentina fan lay on the pitch with a bloodied face before being taken away on a stretcher.
The Argentina team, led by Messi, went over to the terraces to try to calm the situation before leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing room.
"It was bad because we saw how they were beating people... The police were once again repressing the people with night sticks. There were players who had families over there," Messi said in a pitch-side television interview.
"We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down. It could have ended in tragedy.
"You think about the families, the people who are there, who don't know what's going on and we were more concerned about that than playing a match that, at that point, was of secondary importance."