Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni spoke with Marca where he spoke about Lionel Messi, the inclusion of Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero in the Argentina team and much more.
This is part two of the interview, if you would like to read the first part, please click here. Scaloni was a former team mate of Lionel Messi’s with the Argentina national team. The both were on the same squad and even took part in Argentina’s famous 2-1 win vs. Mexico at the 2006 World Cup together. In regards to Messi, here’s what Scaloni had to say:
How he thinks Messi will get to the Copa America:
“Good, as always. With us, Leo has shown that he is well, he’s comfortable, with a new generation that he probably doesn’t know. And now he’s just another one (of the boys) and he gets along well with everyone. We have managed to have a team where he can join us.”
If it’s not best to take some of the pressure away from him:
“He also is very aware that football is not just one player alone but that he needs his team mates. Him, Cristiano, Mbappe… The best in the world need their teams. A great player can score you a goal, can win you a match… But to win a championship, you need much more than just the best player in the world.”
About Messi’s current situation with Barcelona and if it could be an issue during the Copa America:
“I believe that it will be taken care of. I have no doubt. He knows very well what he will do. He won’t get to June 30 without knowing where he will play.”
If the Copa America will be the penultimate chance for Messi with Argentina. The last one being the 2022 World Cup in Qatar:
“It will be when he wants it to be. And the day that he doesn’t play with Argentina anymore, we will realize a lot of things. The same thing that happened with Diego (Maradona), that when he stopped playing, we realized what it was to have him on the pitch.”
How the chats are with him as captain:
“Normal, like any other chat.”
If they message often:
“When I really have to. If, for example, we have to talk before we all get together as a group, my group will write to him to let him know how it’s going to be, the travelling… And a little more. We are not very close.
“When we are together, yes, we are very close, we chat. In addition, we have known each other for a long time because he has been my team mate and a team mate of several of the guys on my team.”
On if Scaloni watches all of his matches:
“It’s very difficult not to watch a Messi match. And if it does happen, I talk with my coaching staff.”
How Scaloni is managing the Argentina national team from Mallorca:
“We are a lot of people in the staff, people that know the Argentina national team very well. We watch all the leagues, the performances of the players… Logistically, there are no problems.”
If he has a clear system:
“We know how we want to play and what players we are looking for. I don’t like to talk about a “system of play”. It doesn’t exist. You could defend with four but when the right wing moves forward, you have three. And if you attack with both fullbacks? And if?
“Ancelotti once said that systems are only there when you have to defend and maybe he is right. When you defend, there, yes, there is a system.
“What is clear with the Argentina national team is the way of playing, with quality players… And from there, you have one or two that could explode, as was the case with Nico Gonzalez or Ocampos. That is the idea.”
If Lucas Ocampos surprised him:
“No, I knew him from Sevilla. Now he’s a much more reliable player, he can play on the right, on the left, in the middle, just like has has done several times.”
If he believes in Angel Di Maria:
“Of course! I have a very good relationship with Angel and he always wants to be included. I was always clear with him and had him in consideration. Surely, if he keeps up this level, it will be very difficult for a player of his level to not be in the final list.”
Regarding Sergio Aguero:
“The most complicated thing is not that he doesn’t play. I spoke with him about two or three months ago and I wanted him to train with us but at the time he hadn’t fully recovered and City didn’t want to release him.
“It wasn’t possible. From there, he has recovered. The problem with Kun isn’t as much that he plays a lot or little because at the end of the day, we know what kind of a player he is because yes, we need him to be active to take the final decision.”
People I was fine with alario but since him is injured we have to bring Icardi instead of kun aguero because him be playing for argentina for so long, he nerver performing well except against France on the World Cup but icardi was perform well for his club but under Pochettino as manager he is better and Pochettino trust him why not giving the boy his chance instead of choosing a old kun which is not perform always bench in fact why not use the charisma that dimaria and leandro paredez icardi has and see what that can bring us like any others nation argentina has team to compete any others teams but the need to change their mind if players is not performing he cannot be playing stop doing politics with football because a players play for a club eaven he is not performing you choosing among the others that perform this has to stop if argentina needs to win any championship if you been playing with a player for many times and he did not bring profits he as to change system and give the best his chance
People if you talking about striker alario was fine for me but since him is injured we have to bring Icardi because aguero been playing for argentina forever and nerver produce anything the only times when he does something was against France he was benched while Pochettino is top class players he see Icardi potential
Hopefully coach will select Romero…
Man utd seriously wants to sign Cuti Romero this summer
Man utd definitely need a center back, its a center back mainly that if done right can make them title challengers (with maybe a couple of other signings) but mainly cb. They were also linked with Pau Torres and Upamecano before. But I want him to gain a spot at Juventus and for Licha to get a move to a top 5 league
I never like hearing rumors to United for any of our boys
Don’t worry I can tell you for sure that this rumor is total bull***t. C.Romero has a 2 year loan contract with Atalanta with an option to buy, so even if by some shocking turn of events Atalanta doesn’t decide to buy Romero, they’re still keeping him on loan for next year. Hence Romero to ManURE next season is an impossibility.
Angel Correa has been superb form lately.
He will be more useful than Joaquín Correa if scaloni opted to play 4 4 2 in some games because arg will play more games in this summer. Dybala has to compete nu 9 position with Lautaro.
I mean Dybala can be deadly as 9 if he is fully fit.
Agreed, he provides great depth and alternative options
I feel like he would work great as a super sub like di maria. I have seen it from Correa from time to time. The two angels that we have in the squad should be our super subs when we need goals.
Dear Mik,
Lower the expectations? Ok, it is your opinion and i have to accept it but allow me to put mine as well: DEFINATELY NOT! and i will give my reasons:
WE ARE ARGENTINA! ONE OF THE BEST FOOTBALL NATIONS EVER! I 100% agree with Dfox here. And i will tell you something else as well: The yellow frauds are afraid of us! They always did! One of the many proofs, the VAR circus in the previous copa america in their home soil! Because if they wouldn’t been afraid of us, they would have beaten us fairly without cheating!
We must be humble and lower our ego, yes! We must be humble and don’t call ourselves favourites despite that we are co-hosts, i agree! But we must definately not do them the favour to underestimate ourselves and lower our expectations, hence our mentality! It has been 28 years since we won our last copa america trophy! We have to go humble but ready to give our blood, to give it all, to win it! Because especially in terms of copa america, even though we have a trophy less than Uruguay, we are by far the most successful team, apart from the 14 titles, we have appeared in finals more than half of the tournaments occured, we have scored the most goals and we have the most wins in the history of copa americas and these are facts!
There is no other team which deserves to win it more than us, Brazil is not even close, so lets go humble but ready to fight and give our all to win the bloody thing!
VAMOS ARGENTINA!
I respect ur opinion. I for one thinks its better than being Overconfident(Say 2002 WC) or Relatively lower expectations(Say 2014 WC)Just saying.
Ofcourse Argentina NT will always be in the spotlight whever a tournament in which we r playing because of the tradition and the quality of players which we always had. It will remain the same too. Lets hope we finally win something even if as favourites or not favourites. Winning is what matters. No one remebers the runnersup.
Look! Parma started giving opportunities to their argentines when they relegated, not great but Juan brunetta had a decent perfomance with 7 dribbles completed.
Honestly I am sad for Brunetta. Every time he plays he does well but that is not often that he gets chances. Apparently he has fallen out with the hierarchy at Parma. River have also been linked with him in the past months and he seems to be happy with the idea, we may see a move back to Argentina. Valenti on the other hand I don’t mind if he plays in the second division because for sure he will get more minutes there. Something I don’t understand is why his first start in Serie A was against Inter, if they cared about his development they would have him play easier games at first
So listen up…messi is captain.. wouldn’t he have some say to scaloni to pick the best players for ARGENTINA? I mean if he really wants to win a trophy he will and he must ensure scaloni picks the best avaliable players… I sure messi knows who are the best players right now
Brazil won the last COPA ‘by hook or by crook’ TWO PKs not called, not one but TWO.
The BS story of their IDIOT president’s secret service allegedly turning off communications inside the stadium which in turn rendered VAR usless……….comical , a pure definition of an oxymoron.
ARGENTINA should go into the tournament looking for blood and not waste another opportunity while playing at home.
He speaks logically. We are not the favourites to win the Copa. Its better it stays that way. That doesnt mean that we cannot win it. But its better to lower the expectations. Unfortunately its impossible for most of the fans. Becoz of the quality of the players we have.
But to win a tournament everything has to align properly along with some luck too. Lets see.
Fiorentina had kept clean sheet in last two matches ….i thought martinez quarta did pretty well….but he was benched in last two matches 😅
Why reporters do not ask about C. Romero, Emi Buendia,why Emi Martinez is still not starter? They will ask all already defined questions.
Funny enough, I was thinking of commenting the exact same sentence as you. Any fan or reporter who cares about our success should be asking those questions which are crucial for our chances
Good one kevin. Scaloni answers & questions are never on the main debates.
Yeah Yeah don’t care, announce the squad.
Translation: Di Maria has a decent chance of being included, Kun also, although with him it depends on his match fitness. Still, Alario’s injury makes it more likely for Kun to be included.
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