Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, who will get the number 9 spot and more.
Lionel Scaloni gave an interview with Sportia where he commented on both Sergio Aguero and Lautaro Martinez. In regards to Lautaro Martinez possibly joining Barcelona, here’s what he had to say:
“If he plays with Messi, it’s better, there’s no doubt about it. And he also has to fight for his spot like he did with Inter.
“Lautaro continues to be a young player with a lot to give and a lot to learn. When Kun (Sergio Aguero) made that joke (about if Lautaro would reach the same number as goals as he has with Argentina) about the Argentina national team… Imagine everything he has to do to reach what he reached. And other strikers too.
“If he changes clubs, he doesn’t have to be the undisputed starter. That won’t affect us. He has a huge future with a lot to give.”
On who will be the number 9 for Argentina:
“We will decide based on the opponent and how the players are doing. It’s a lack of respect to decide now as it’s not clear. They are all good and the decision will be taken at that time.
“Talking a lot about Lautaro, a lot about Lautaro but it’s Sergio that’s breaking all of the records. For that reason you have to be calm about it and everyone has to wait for their turn.
“If he goes to Barcelona, the coach will have the same great problem as I have. Putting together the three or four strikers he has who are all phenomenal.”
Regarding football right now:
“We’re in a lot of uncertainty. We all know that football, beyond having good players and playing well, the moments are very important. We came up with a very good idea and there’s no surprise for the players in terms of what the future lists are going to be. We wanted to play because we felt good.
“What I asked myself as a former player is that this year, the seasons are going to end in August and the next one has to start. I don’t know how they are going to fix the schedules so that the national team can play.
“And the second thing are the number of matches that these guys have to play. It’s going to be a complicated one with a lot matches. There will practically be no friendly matches until the World Cup. Always and when the Copa America is played, there won’t be matches for the friendlies. I don’t see it that easy to fit in matches in the calendar for the national team to play.”
About the Argentina national team:
“The best ones come, beyond being good people, the ones that are here are incredible. We call up the best, we leave out some players who we have an affection for and it hurts us. It weighs a lot on you. The national team is open for everyone.”
The calling up players:
“Maybe if they would have told me from the start that I would be staying until the World Cup in Qatar, the decisions would have been the same but I’d have been less relaxed.
“We took those six months in a very relaxed way.”
Scaloni mentions that the idea was to:
“Not cal those who no longer have anything to prove. Let’s play these games and have these guys put on the shirt.”
About him staying on as coach:
“It was given to me in a positive way. I never thought I’d stay.”
He mentioned that AFA president Claudio Tapia told him:
“Let’s have these matches and that’s it.”
But after the wins vs. Mexico, Tapia told him:
“You don’t want to stay?”
“If a team isn’t with their coach, in the end, it ends up falling. We were fine, we felt supported and there was no reason not to continue.”
