Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni admits he may quit just a year after World Cup win
Lionel Scaloni has admitted he is considering resigning as manager of Argentina, less than a year after leading them to winning the World Cup.
Scaloni has been in charge for five years, in a period that has been a roaring success for the South Americans. As well as the World Cup, they also won the Copa America in 2021, their first since 1993, and the Finalissima in 2022.
His success has continued since the World Cup, with Argentina top of the South American qualifying group for the 2026 edition of the tournament. Despite that, Scaloni has now admitted he is considering his position, following a fiery win over Brazil.
"Argentina needs 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," he said after the win on Tuesday night.
"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.
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"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 afterwards."
Scaloni did not take questions after that statement, though he did insist he was proud to manage this group of Argentine stars. He also praised their efforts in beating Brazil, the first time the Selecao have ever lost at home in World Cup qualifying.
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Scaloni's announcement comes less than a year after he led Argentina to winning the World Cup (ANP via Getty Images)"I feel enormous pride in leading these kids, in having a group like this. We competed again, which is what we want and what we ask of them. They looked for a lot of play inside, I think we neutralized well there," he added.
"Then we scored the goal at the right time. This is a nice victory, but it has no comparison with what was achieved in Qatar. You know that it is not easy to win here, but we did it.
"I think this team has shown character many times. It is a brand that has: commitment and character. Leo (Messi) is the only player in the world who can be on the field in the conditions he played today. He did it to the best of his ability and gave the team a hand."
Argentina's superstar captain Lionel Messi refused to comment on Scaloni's explosive statement. But the Inter Miami star was full of praise for his team-mates for getting the better of their bitter rivals.
"This group continues to achieve historic things. Winning here in Brazil is something very nice. We needed this victory after the defeat against Uruguay. We had just lost and they had had several unfavorable results," Messi said.
"We knew it was going to be a match similar to the Copa América final where they put a lot of pressure, they were going to look for us at the top. It was difficult for us to make long possessions. These games are defined by details."
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