Lionel Scaloni, the coach of the Argentine national team, revealed that he made intense efforts to convince star Lionel Messi to temporarily return and play a farewell match in front of the fans, following the player’s announcement of his retirement from international football last August, following the loss of the World Cup final to Spain 1-0.
Scaloni explained, in press statements, that he insisted on organizing this friendly match that was held on October 6 at the “Monumental” stadium in Buenos Aires against the Benin national team, due to his uncertainty about continuing to lead the national team’s technical staff in the future, stressing by saying: “I believe that a player like him deserves that. Personally, I did my part because I wanted to be present at his farewell party.” He added: “If we want to honor him, we must do so immediately. The moment may lose its magic if we delay.”
Regarding his coaching future, Scaloni, whose desire and contract with the Argentine Federation expires next December, indicated that he intends to hold a meeting with the president of the federation, Claudio Tapia, within the next few days to discuss the conditions for his continuation, commenting: “It is a dream that has come true, but that does not mean that I must hold on to this position forever. There are certain conditions that we need to discuss with the president and we will see if we can reach an agreement.”
It is noteworthy that Scaloni led the Argentine national team to win the 2022 World Cup, in addition to two Copa America titles.
