“I never said I was going to leave”

In the run-up to the friendly match against The Saviorthis Friday at 9 p.m. (Argentine time), Lionel Scaloni He gave a short, relaxed talk to the AFA Estudio streaming channel from a video call in Philadelphia, where he is training the Argentine National Team.

At the beginning of the conversation, to bring calm to the entire countryScaloni was consulted about his continuity in office after the sea of ​​doubts he sowed when he confessed that he had to think about his desire to continue. “I think so”the native of Pujato said ironically while looking at the AFA shield with three stars to show that he remains firm in his position.

“I never said I was going to leave. What I said in Brazil was premeditated. It was a moment of reflection, thought and meditated after a difficult year. Yes, difficult despite having won the World Cup. Many things happened on a personal and football level. Life does not change but it is disrupted a little and we wanted to see, mainly at my level, what to do and reflect on what was coming,” Scaloni explained about the thoughts that have lurked in his head in recent months.

And I add: “When I said stop the ball it was because I had time to reflect on what had happened and what was coming, and I had to be well, strong, lucid.. I think it was time to say it. After thinking about it, I felt that I needed to speak and show what I felt, but we made the decision to reinforce what is coming and try not to slow down, because what it is about is to continue competing. It’s a need I had“.

He even delved into the subject by confessing how difficult it can be to find motivation after touching the sky with your hands when lifting the World Cup. “I read that Tagliafico said that after the World Cup he feels a strange sensation because he felt a void after winning. It is not easy to continue competing and make the players understand that they have to continue. Luckily here in the group they are competitive animals, but I needed to reflect and tell them. They have understood it and this week of training was good. “It’s what I needed to reinforce the idea of ​​continuing,” he declared.

And he made it clear that the thoughts that questioned his continuity were not due to purely sporting reasons. “They were difficult years for the family because I had my children and wife away when I was here (in the National Team) and my parents also away when I was there (living in Spain). You never know when you do things right on a personal level because you try to do everything right.“said the coach.

“The family gave their opinion and it was a discussed topic, but we are used to the life of a footballer. But when you have children and they grow bigger and bigger, added to my parents’ problems, they are problems that have been growing and we try to do the best for the National Team. If at any time there are doubts, we will stop and think as we did“, complete.

Now, with the firm decision to remain in office, the Scaloneta He is already thinking about the Copa América to defend the title. “The Copa América is not prepared differently because we are the champions. Argentina always comes out to compete and whoever faces Argentina has a special seasoning because they face a power. It doesn’t change that we are champions, I respect the rival and in football a lot of things can happen“said Scaloni in case there were any doubts about the preparations of the squad and the coaching staff for what is to come.

One of the most complicated missions that Scaloni may have is putting together the list of players for the Copa América. With the majority of world champions remaining at a high level, the emergence of new young talents, which open the doors to a renewal of the squad, make things difficult for them.

In that sense, new faces appeared in this call for matches against El Salvador and Costa Rica, with whom the coach seems to be more than comfortable. “There is Garnacho, Carboni, Buonannotte… they are good guys that we are happy to have. The National Team is for everyone and not because it has been won that there are going to be people for anyone else,” the coach announced about the team’s reform.

“We need those behind to push and these guys have conditions, desire. They showed that they can contribute their things and we hope to give them the opportunity, give them minutes in these games. It has helped us see them, talk with them, have meetings. “They are interesting players,” he argued about the sensations that the last training sessions left him with.

After the talk with AFA Estudio, Scaloni will speak again this afternoon at a press conference for journalists present in Philadelphia. Possibly it is time for him to expand again regarding what is to come, his expectations for the Copa América, the possible renewal and his possible comings and goings that left his continuity in doubt.