Many were taken aback when Lionel Scaloni hinted that he might resign following Argentina’s historic win against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. While Argentina emerged victorious against Brazil, the match was overshadowed by pre-match crowd trouble that caused a delay in kick-off.
The tension between the two South American giants escalated at Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium before the game even began. Brazilian police were forced to intervene. They used batons to disperse a group of Argentine fans, creating a volatile atmosphere.
At one point, Lionel Messi and his teammates left the field. Messi expressed their reluctance to play amid the chaos. But, they did return and secure a historic win.
Then, the manager who guided Argentina to victory in the World Cup 2022 looked contemplative when he said, “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.”
“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,” he added.
Scaloni took over as manager in 2018 and achieved remarkable success. The 45-year-old led Argentina to victory in the 2021 Copa America. He was instrumental in securing Argentina’s third World Cup title in Qatar.
Argentina players don’t want Scaloni to quit
Lionel Messi, however, remains hopeful that Scaloni will continue in his role. Messi, along with the team, is eager for Scaloni to stay on as manager and build upon their recent successes.
Cristian Romero, an Argentina defender, expressed optimism. “We are sure and hope that Scaloni will continue,” Reuters quoted the Argentina defender telling reporters. “Let’s see now he will have time to think, he didn’t say anything in the dressing room about it. We will try to convince him.”
(With Reuters inputs)
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Updated: 22 Nov 2023, 12:02 PM IST