Scaloni on Argentina’s World Cup prep and Messi: “He won’t ease up” | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni knows that he has begun a year in which, beyond all the titles won, he will have to once again prove himself as the coach of the Argentine National Team. Otherwise, he wouldn't have found enough motivation to continue leading a project that constantly requires the renewal of names, energies, and objectives.

In this regard, he has already started to seriously evaluate the opponents he will face in the group stage of the World Cup, knowing that the status of world champions gives his team the label of favorites, but they will need to arrive in the United States at their best to avoid early surprises in the competition.

“Algeria is a formidable opponent, they are having a great African Cup. We didn't know much about Jordan, but we saw they had a great performance in the Arab Cup. And Austria, we know, is complicated. Their coach likes to press high and they won their qualifying group. The World Cup group will be difficult,” he analyzed in a conversation with AFA Studio.

The coach also revealed that he had another conversation with Lionel Messi, the team captain, who has yet to confirm his presence at the next World Cup. “I spoke with Messi. My intention is to talk to most of the guys to give them my perspective. There are six months left, and it's good for everyone to have an idea of how things are going,” he said.

And he explained: “Those of us who know Leo know that he will never relax. He always wants to be there and always wants to win. It's vital for his teammates that he is like this. I want to play with the National Team always, wherever it may be, and it's important for the guys to always see him like this. We didn't talk about the World Cup, but we will always think about the good of the team.”

A crucial test for the Argentine National Team before the World Cup will be the match in March against Spain in La Finalissima, another strong contender for the World Cup. In this regard, Scaloni expressed great affection for their coach and even a lot of sympathy for the European team.

“Luis De La Fuente was my teacher in the coaching course. I have great affection for him because he treated us all in a very nice and special way. I'm happy with how things are going for him. Even though we will play against them, part of my heart is with Spain because of the years I lived here, because of my wife, and although the match will be fiercely contested, I would also be happy for them. It will be a very tough, very complex match, but there is still time, and many things can change from now until the match,” he stated.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.