Per reports, Jorge SAMPAOLI will not coach the Argentina U20 team at the COTIF tournament.
As we reported earlier, FA president Claudio TAPIA met with SAMPAOLI and the senior national team coach (at least for now) will not manage the U20 team in Spain later this month. Lionel SCALONI (currently working with the youth teams) is likely to manage the team at the L’Acudia tournament.
TyC Sport has just reported that another meeting between Claudio TAPIA and Jorge SAMPAOLI is taking place in Ezeiza right now. Though it is unclear as to what is the reason is this meeting since all parties have concluded a couple days ago that SAMPAOLI will continue his job and will be in charge of the Under-20 side for the upcoming L’Alcudia tournament.
My only take is that the top leadership in the AFA are adamant to see SAMPAOLI leave on his own will.
In another twist to this saga, Fernando BAREDES, a lawyer who is representing SAMPAOLI will be arriving in Argentina this coming Friday. He is expected to hold meeting with TAPIA and other people within the AFA’s hierarchy.
The objective is clear! If the AFA wants SAMPAOLI to leave, then he has to be compensate according to his contract. The World Cup might be over for Argentina but trouble with the National Team isn’t going to end anytime soon.
On this day in 2007, Argentina defeated Mexico 3-0 at the Copa America.
It was a star studded Copa America squad which coach Alfio BASILE had put together. Juan Roman RIQUELME, Lionel MESSI, Pablo AIMAR, Hernan CRESPO, Javier ZANETTI, Roberto AYALA and Juan Seba VERON just to name a few. In short, it was a destructive team.
In the semi-finals of the tournament which was held in Venezuela, Argentina were up against Mexico and it was two genius goals and one penalty which put the Mexican team to the sword.
Argentina were awarded a free kick late in the first half and it was Juan Roman RIQUELME who stood above it. A beautifully sent in cross was meant by Gabriel HEINZE of all people who karate kicked the ball into the back of the net. Just like that, Argentina were up 1-0 going into half time.
The second half saw arguably the goal of the tournament. Lionel MESSI, mullet and all received the ball near the edge of the penalty area. He took a few touches and chipped it over the goalkeeper. MESSI was making that tournament his own and was showing the world what he was capable of doing.
A third goal was in the books and it was RIQUELME who took the penalty kick. In typical RIQUELME fashion, he chipped the ball down the middle to seal the 3-0 victory and Argentina’s passage into the final.
Here was Argentina’s starting XI for the match:
Roberto ABBONDANZIERI
Javier ZANETTI
Roberto AYALA
Gabriel MILITO
Gabriel HEINZE
Esteban CAMBIASSO
Javier MASCHERANO
Juan Sebastian VERON
Juan Roman RIQUELME
Lionel MESSI
Carlos TEVEZ
Substitutes:
Juan CARRIZO
Agustin ORION
Daniel DIAZ
Hugo IBARRA
Nicolas BURDISSO
Fernando GAGO (came on for VERON)
Luis GONZALEZ
Pablo AIMAR (came on for RIQUELME)
Diego MILITO
Rodrigo PALACIO (came on for TEVEZ)
Hernan CRESPO
Italian club Atalanta are reportedly interested in signing Matias KRANEVITTER of Zenit St. Petersburg.
Per a report on GianlucaDiMarzio, Atalanta have made an offer to Zenit on loaning the former River Plate man “with financial considerations” which feature a forced option to buy. KRANEVITTER joined Zenit last year following a loan spell from Sevilla from his parent club Atletico Madrid.
Now 25 and despite being one of a few Argentine players based in Zenit, he did not make Argentina’s World Cup squad.
Hristo STOICHKOV commented on the Argentina national team as well as Lionel MESSI while speaking to TyC Sports.
The 1994 Ballon d’Or winner didn’t hold back when talking about the Albiceleste. Here’s what he had to say:
“The team only depended on MESSI. This national team went from worse to worse. There were great players but without commitment. As if they didn’t know that this was their last chance.”
STOICHKOV went on to defend MESSI saying:
“It’s not always MESSI’s fault. Argentina had everything to win and did everything to lose.
“No one helped MESSI, there was no blood. It’s easy to throw it all against MESSI, MASCHERANO or the goalkeeper. But SAMPAOLI was wrong on a few things, the federation as well.”
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