Lucas Biglia gave an interview with Fox Sports where he spoke about Jorge Sampaoli, the Argentina national team, France and more.
Biglia was part of the Argentina national team which made three finals and was part of the last World Cup squad. Speaking in the interview, here’s what he had to say about the 2014 World Cup final:
I went back and watched the final. It made me want to go get the medal, which I don’t know where its been for the past six years. I kept watching until the end because I wanted to remember what happened after the match. It hit very strongly seeing myself go up the stairs to wear it at a World Cup.
“Within myself, I think that on a professional level, I got second place. But on a personal or on a human level, I won a prize. I don’t know if it’s valued in this sport.”
About that team which made the final:
“The quality, on a human level that I lived with my colleagues, with the coaching staff, the medical staff, the staff, that’s the prize I keep with me. That group marked me. After that it’s analyzed if it was successful or not because those of 1978 and 1986 did well to lift the World Cup.
“Humility is priceless and that group was full of it. Everything was nice but since we didn’t win, it meant nothing. For example, Augusto Fernandez did not play a minute but he was the group one who was positive who got up with a smile and had the group there.”
Regarding why he quit the Argentina national team:
“I quit the Argentina national team because of a bit of everything, there are a lot of things that add up to the final decision. First and foremost, emotions. I gave everything and I always fought until the end and I ended up lifting nothing. You start taking it as everything being a failure.
“In the Argentina national team, I enjoyed it from 2011 until 2015-2016. After that, I suffered a lot and had a bad time. I put aside many things and I always prioritized the shirt over my health or my family. You don’t feel up to it and you’re unfairly criticized.
“I got to the point where I said enough with the punishment, why even suffer like this? I knew that I was giving too much to people who didn’t deserve it and they were not appreciating it. The straw which broke the camel’s back was the frustration of having given everything and not being able to lift anything.”
When asked about Jorge Sampaoli:
“I’m not going to get carried away with all that was said. We were never able to capture Sampaoli’s idea of playing an aggressive game. As much as you have successful players, if it’s not being reflected, you won’t get anywhere. We tried many different styles and we could never adapt. Sampaoli took a thousand planes to try to explain to us. Still, we lost to the champions who were superior to us on a physical level, not a football level.”
About being injured at the last World Cup:
“At the last World Cup, I got there with an injury. I shouldn’t have done it but for me, it was the best thing and it was priceless. I fought with my club because they wouldn’t allow me and at times with my family because I would leave at 8:00 and come back at 10:00 at night.
Angel Di Maria and the 2014 World Cup final:
“They tell him a million things and he keeps going forward. He wanted to play injured and he fought with Real Madrid until an hour before the game.”
During this quarantine period I am tired about hearing what could have happened in 2014 final and all that. I have watched final 10 times and thought about our missed chances. So now I am done with what could have happed in 2014. Let’s talk about coming Copa and World cup. What worries me most is that our defense is still not water tight or at least at par with top teams around the world. I am pretty happy with the player we have in mid field and attack. We just need proper strategy that will complement the characteristics of our players in attack. I just want that our young lads specially in defence and defensive mid field position to get the experience of highest level and grow.
We have to play with our strengths just like we did in 2014
Agreed. Look at France when they played against Argentina in world cup they played on their strengths, attack attack attack. I think we also need to do the same in coming Copa and World cup. If they score 3 goals against us then we need to score 4 against them thats it. We have some quality players in attack department though we have good players in defense, we don’t have any proven talent in that.
I have faith in scaloni this coach learn from his mistakes .but my concern is goal keeper this Armani is not up to this NT LEVEL
Musso must be the no1
Scaloni understand the limitation of Argentina which Sampaoli wasn’t which is also the difference between both tenure. Also sampaoli was messi fan boy and admiration of Barca 2009-2011 which can’t be repeated again in the future of Football, sampaoli wanted to replicate in Argentina 2018 world cup. France played under their limitation and won the tournament, despite a good France squad I would easily say 2018 world cup winning team can’t compete with last 5 world cup wining team. Spain 2010 and Germany 2014 simply unbeatable on paper but both could have lost if Roben/higuain scored, if and buts can’t applicable in Football. What I was trying to say that France 2018 team wasn’t superior but they won the world cup playing on their strength knowing their limitation where sampaoli wanted to recreate barca 2009-2011 without noticing Argentina weakness. Argentina had best Attack and Argentina had no attacker in starting line up against France apart from Messil. Aguero, Dybala, Higuain, Icardi(not called up) wasted. Spain played without striker in 2012 euro because they had best midfield, they played on their strength ultimately won but Argentina had best attack where sampaoli tried to put messi false 9 like pep did with average midfielder, Barca had prime Xavi, Inesta, Busquets where Argentina Biglia, Masche(finised) Enzo perez. Sampaoli won’t be forgiven for sure but if he get enough time like Scaloni, Argentina could become best who knows.
To be honest Sampaoli is unfairly treated. He had not enough time to implement. Despite poor south american teams with so much friendlies scaloni not able to beat top teams in copa 2019 how can one criticize sampaoli not wining against top European teams. Frankly Sampaoli chosed Argentina coaching job at the wrong time, he could have stayed in Selvia one more season and join Argentina after the world cup.
This time I agree with you.
From the beginning Argentina didn’t have a chance for a trophy in 2018 (just like teams in 98′ and 02′)
France, Belgium, Brazil & maybe Uruguay were stronger.
But if he would take a charge straight in 2016, Argentina could reach the final (if they would reach 1st place in a group).
Potentially, he could prepare the team for WC2022 as real candidate for a trophy.
Just like Germany 1986-1990.
P.S. Fingers crossed Scaloni can solve it..
If Bauza was contined then 2018 World Cup campaign could have been better
QUICK QUESTION: ARE all these players, ex-players and coaches alike are NOW coming out with all these comments about Messi, previous Copas and WCs, OR just old stories coming out now?
As far as Sampaoli goes, what could be said that hasn’t been said already??!!
there isn t any other subjects this period because corona virus.
exept that this place is about national team.
so about what you want to read inside here?
players speaking about what the reporters asking them first of all
and second i guess Roy copy only what interest the national team.
it is correct if you ask me because if i want to learn about River plate for example i will not enter here to read.
Sampaoli… Played 4-3-3 against France… He benched Aguero, played Messi as CF and placed Pavon in Messi’s natural position. Unforgivably stupid.
And he used to announce his starting 11 way before crucial matches
And he used to change the starting 11 every game
Sampoli was not aware of players his strategy was good but there were all wrong players.Meza,Biglia,Mascherano,Pavon,Rojo and the right back i do not know his name.Aguero always needs to be starter but he was substitute in main matches.
“the right back i do not know his name” If you dont know his name is Mercado and he has done his job at Rb position whenever he got the chance.
Mercado
First of all we need to fix our defence ,starting gk ,regular back 4 and then we have to find out way to score goals
Not just the fans did not understand the Saaaaaaaaaaaampaoili idea, even the players could not understand. Fantastic 2014 team
This interview says so much about the failure of 2014,
bring injured player
lack of communication
No cohesive and coherency between players and coach
Wrong strategy
Error coach
The question is can we get rid off and works better for Copa and WC 2022
Scaloni exactly knows all these issues. He’s trying to resolve all.
That’s why from starting, we supported Scaloni. AFA made a right decision.
So, he is basically saying that they are stupid because they couldn’t understand what Sampaoli was saying, even though he tried to explain it to them on thousand different ways???
You call them stupid yet you’re failing to understand Biglias comment
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