SUMMARY
- Past few months, Lionel Scaloni's future as the head coach of the Argentina national team has been up in the air.
- it had also been reported that Scaloni and his team hadn't been paid their bonuses for winning the World Cup 2022. There has also been reports of Scaloni and Argentina FA president Tapia having disagreements over several issues.
The Argentine fans will finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief regarding the future of Lionel Scaloni. For the past few months, Lionel Scaloni’s future as the head coach of the Argentina national team has been up in the air. However, all rumors about Scaloni’s future have been finally put to rest by Argentina Football Association (AFA) president.
The confusion about Lionel Scaloni started in November 2023 after Argentina’s historic 1-0 win against Brazil. Following the match, Scaloni dropped a bombshell by admitting that he is considering leaving the national team. Moreover, there were reports that Scaloni has been at odds with Argentina FA president Chiqui Tapia over several issues.
(🌕) CONFIRMED: Lionel Scaloni is set to stay as Argentina national team head coach at least until the Copa América in the summer. @FabrizioRomano @gastonedul ✔️🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/5eGVzIrtjD
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) January 15, 2024
In addition to this, it had also been reported that Scaloni and his team hadn’t been paid their bonuses for winning the World Cup 2022. Nevertheless, a meeting recently took place between Scaloni and Tapia at Argentina’s training center in Ezeiza. Following the meeting’s conclusion, Argentine journalist Gaston Edul confirmed that Scaloni will remain as Argentina‘s head coach at least until Copa America 2024.
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Chiqui Tapia also shared a picture of himself with Lionel Scaloni a few hours ago on his Instagram. The AFA head added the caption, “Good to see you, Gringo.” Keeping in mind that Scaloni is one of the most successful coaches in Argentina’s history, this will come as a piece of great news to all Argentine soccer fans and supporters. However, Scaloni has yet to officially confirm that he will be continuing as Argentina’s head coach.
Lionel Scaloni discusses Lionel Messi’s retirement
Meanwhile, Lionel Scaloni’s rumored retirement had also put Lionel Messi’s future at the national team in jeopardy. Messi, who will turn 37 this year, has previously admitted that he has reached the twilight of his career. The Argentine skipper has also left his participation in the 2026 World Cup hanging by a thread. However, Scaloni has asked the fans to let Messi decide for himself when he wants to retire.
During an interview, Scaloni said, “The truth is, he’s still active, so let’s leave him be. Are we already trying to retire him?” The 45-year-old coach further said that as long as Messi is playing, there’s no need to discuss his retirement. Nevertheless, soccer fans are surely hoping that the former FC Barcelona talisman continues to play at least for a few more years.
