why it is still questioned whether or not he continues to lead the world champion Argentina

“Get ready because the story I’m going to tell you happened exactly a year ago, it was real and it had never happened to us before. Beautiful anniversary, right?”. The voice-over and the catchphrase of Guillermo Francellaunmistakable, serve as the film’s intro Boysone of the recently released documentaries about the first birthday of one of the happiest moments in life. Argentina in the last times.

The curious thing is that there are still nine days left for the world to finish spinning since that unforgettable coronation of the Selection in Qatar 2022 and, strikingly, the Scaloneta who achieved glory in Lucail is in the repair shop, trapped in an apparent crisis with no way out, since Lionel Scaloni to announce in the Maracaná conference room that something or someone had cut off the sweetness. It was without anesthesia after another sporting hit by one of the best teams in history. Nobody saw it coming.

The anniversary, in fact, is not so beautiful… Right?

What happened for harmony to be extinguished like that out of nowhere? None of the protagonists cares too much about clarifying the points, perhaps hoping that time will put an end to the annoyances. However, as we know, sometimes the incessant movement of the clock’s hands is not enough. It is clear that certain situations that led the technical director to feel discomfort that is impossible to tolerate or hide must change. Not in vain more than two weeks have passed and Scaloni is still detained “in the instance of thinking.”

The coach said after having gone to Miami this Thursday to participate in the 2024 Copa América draw in a clear sign that his position of doubt is far from being intransigent and can still be reversed: “What I said after Brazil is that it was a personal moment to think and I am still in that moment of thinking. It’s important to do it after everything we achieved, but there’s nothing to define, I’m thinking.”

And followed: “There is nothing strange. The players are doing very well, the team is doing very well, and they need a coach at their level. I still think the same thing. In any case, I think we have to discard a lot of things that are being said: the relationship with the president was always perfect. It is exclusively my decision.”

Scaloni said all that without saying too much. Provides signs that it is still in office. Not only because he was physically present at the James L. Knight Center where the Conmebol event was held. But also because Luis Martinphysical trainer of his coaching staff, was observing possible locations that could serve as a bunker for the team during the Copa América dispute.

However, Despite these signs, Scaloni bites his lips. It does not seem possible/credible that he does not feel on par with the players who less than 365 days ago led him without hesitation to the top of the world. If he was able to put together “an author team in its first experience”just as he complimented it Marcelo Bielsa In La Bombonera, it is strange that the coach of Pujato and his luxury work team (Pablo Aimar, Walter Samuel and Roberto Ayala, among the most recognized) are not motivated by the challenge of sustaining themselves over time and reverting in case of prove necessary.

When you repeat in a loop that the players need a coach who is at their level, do you say it from above – call it non-negotiable demands to move forward – or from below – lack of energy or resignation -? Have you observed behaviors or situations that did not suit you too much in the last double date of the South American Qualifiers towards the 2026 World Cup during the defeat against Uruguay and the triumph – without shining – over Brazil? Will he understand that everything that comes in this second half is too uphill?

The questions, for now, have no answers. It is evident that Scaloni is trying to defuse suspicions. Not only by praising the players, but also by saying over and over again that he has no problem with Claudio Fabian Tapia, whom many blamed for all evils. “I almost have a friendly relationship. “It doesn’t go that way at all,” she ruled out.

And hours before, at the inauguration of the AFA offices in Miami, he himself Chiqui He pronounced a sentence that did nothing more than give double readings. “Titles are not only won through sports, but also through work,” released the boss of Argentine football. Was it an encrypted message to the coach?

Tapia’s sentence came seconds after the Paraguayan Alejandro Dominguezholder of Conmebol, will throw a flower container to his fellow leader when highlighting his role as architect of the new AFA: “There was only one person left and it was Chiqui Tapia. He looked to the future, in short, he was champion of America, the most important of all the cups that he won for everything that came after him. He was the one who gave the technical director the chance, when no one had him in their sights. Lionel Scaloni is the great strategist, but the captain of the ship is Claudio Tapia. He is the great captain of the ship” . Strong.

Although it was initially revealed that Miami, the new home of Lionel Messi and scene of the next Copa América final, would be a kind of soccer Yatasto where Scaloni and Tapia would resolve the Selection wrongs, everything remains the same.

There was not even a meeting with Messi, who was invited to participate in the draw. Of course, the world champion captain seems to be a key link for this soap opera beyond calculations to reach its end. “I spoke with Leo and we agreed to talk in a few days and from there we will make the best decision for the National Team, which in the end is what it is about,” Scaloni warned.

Apparently, after the disagreements, the summit will be in Argentina, where both will spend the New Year’s Eve Holidays. One will be in Rosario and the other in Pujato. There is a 30-minute drive between the two Santa Fe cities.

There, surely, Scaloni will show his cards with absolute frankness and seek the support and opinion of Messi, who will be essential with his help to solve the problems that trouble the coach. It is known that the voice of 10 resonates strongly in the AFA offices. And it is also a holy word in the locker rooms. Thus, perhaps, the concerns of a coach who evidently saw something he did not like and who chose to stop the ball before it was too late can be put on track.

• FIFA date in March. From the 18th to the 26th, to play friendlies.

• FIFA date in June. From the 3rd to the 11th there is another FIFA date for friendlies prior to the Copa América.

• America Cup. Argentina debuts in Group A on June 20 against Canada or Trinidad Tobago in Atlanta. On the 25th he will play with Chile against New Jersey and on the 29th against Peru in Miami. The quarterfinals will be played on July 4, 5 and 6, the semifinals on the 9th and 10th, the third place on the 13th and the final on the 14th.

• Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. In September they will play two games: on the 5th they would host Chile and on the 10th they would visit Colombia. In October they would face Venezuela on the 10th as a visitor and Bolivia on the 15th as a home team. In November, they would go to Asunción on the 14th against Paraguay and on the 19th they would host Peru.