Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has hit out at conspiracy theories that the FIFA World Cup was rigged. He does not like following social media trends and is not worried about it.
Speaking to the media, Scaloni said that he had no idea what the rigged theories were, but was not buying into them. He was also unsure about the rumours of conflicts within the Argentina squad, adding that there was nothing to report and said:
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“I don’t see social media. Pressures? No, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Internal conflicts? I can’t believe what you’re asking me.” (via DiarioOle)
Earlier in the summer, Scaloni stated that the criticism and comments about FIFA favouring them were motivating the Argentina players to do better and said:
“We use the criticisms or comments that are made to reveal ourselves. To stage a rebellion and have the players play even better. Argentina has always been talked about, and that’s because we’ve always been the ones to liven up these tournaments, and maybe it’s because we come from winning the last cup.” (via Gaston Edul)
Scaloni added that he was not hiding away from the emotions, revealing that the players call him a crybaby and said:
“I always get emotional. Sometimes the tears come out. The tears came in the dressing room too. The boys even call me ‘the cry baby,’ but I don’t care. For all of us who played soccer for 20 years, to feel what we felt today again is incredible. I think most coaches who played soccer become coaches because of days like this, because of those emotions, that adrenaline.”
Lionel Scaloni has revealed that he has six months left on his deal with Argentina, and he will decide his future soon.
Lionel Scaloni has two losses in two FIFA World Cup editions
Lionel Scaloni has managed Argentina at two FIFA World Cup editions since taking over as the head coach after the 2018 edition. The 48-year-old has lost just two matches in his time, and they have come at the extreme ends.
In the 2022 edition, they lost the opening match of the campaign to Saudi Arabia. They lost 2-1 to the Asian side before going on to win all their remaining matches and win the FIFA World Cup.
In the 2026 edition, they were on a roll in the group stage before a rocky knockout stage, yet they still won all their games. However, they lost in the FIFA World Cup final to Spain, with Ferran Torres scoring the lone goal.
Edited by Sripad
