BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The image remains remarkable.
Lionel Scaloni Gonzalo Montiel stood expressionless on the sideline after scoring the decisive penalty in the 2022 World Cup final. Argentina The win against France earned him three stars.
The coach didn’t celebrate at first, remaining silent as if unaware of the feat he had helped accomplish. A few minutes later, he broke down in tears when one of the players approached him, hugged him and whispered, “We are world champions.”
Mr. Scaloni rarely loses his cool. Even when he was criticized for his lack of experience while leading the Argentina national team, he did not do so. Nor did he do so when Kylian Mbappe’s goal threatened his country. world cup hope 4 years ago. And he is still the same, facing the challenge of becoming World Cup champion again.
People who know him say Scaloni’s hobbies outside of soccer have helped him control his temper. Since retiring as a player, he has been spending two to three hours a day cycling. I took up the sport at the suggestion of my friend Carlos Moya, a former Spanish tennis player.
Scaloni tries to clear his mind and reflect as he pedals his bike through the mountains of the Spanish island of Mallorca, where he lives, or along the trails of his hometown of Pujato in northwestern South America.
“When I’m on the bike, I can think about my team, my opponent, my preparation for the match. It really clears my head. I use it as therapy,” Scaloni said in several interviews. “It’s a nice escape…it lowers your expectations and helps you calm down.”
In a few weeks, Scaloni will become the third manager to lead Argentina to back-to-back World Cups, joining fellow champions Cesar Luis Menotti (1978 and 1982) and Carlos Bilardo (1986 and 1990). However, the youngest of the three does not think that he deserves to be compared to others.
“I don’t think we’re on the same level. They’ve established their careers, they’ve defined an era,” Scaloni has said repeatedly.
Scaloni takes his place
Scaloni, who had no experience managing a professional team, took over on an interim basis in 2018 following Argentina’s disastrous defeat to Russia, which knocked them out of the Round of 16 months earlier. Meanwhile, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) was considering Mauricio Pochettino or Diego Simeone as candidates for the senior squad.
Diego Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986, said at the time: “Scaloni? He can’t even direct traffic.”
The inexperienced manager was retained and Argentina won the 2021 Copa America and successfully qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
In Qatar, after a disappointing opening game against Saudi Arabia, Scaloni weathered a storm of criticism, revamped his squad mid-tournament with the addition of then-rookie Enzo Fernandes, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Alvarez, and, most importantly, unleashed the best version of himself. lionel messi At the World Cup.
“The criticism was normal. I had never coached anywhere.[Maradona]was not far away,” Scaloni admitted immediately after lifting the cup, holding no grudge against the star who passed away in 2020.
Brazil was the last to become world champion again in 1962.
Scaloni recognizes that future demand will be equal or greater. He must defend the title of a 38-year-old star nearing retirement while also dealing with turmoil within Argentina’s football organization.
“The World Cup is very, very difficult. To win the World Cup, a lot of things have to come together, not just play well,” Scaloni said in a recent interview with CONMEBOL. “Argentina will try to maximize its potential every time it participates in the World Cup. It will be very difficult, but not impossible.”
Champion’s path
Scaloni made it clear to his players that being world champions does not guarantee them a spot on the national team, and urged them to never let their guard down.
“I’m not going to dwell on past achievements. I always have to keep looking ahead. With this jersey on, there’s no time to relax and think my place is safe,” he said in late 2025.
Albiceleste won the 2021 and 2024 Copa America and overcame the absence of Messi, who missed several games due to a physical problem, to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in South America as first place.
Jorge Valdano, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that “Argentina has achieved the best thing a national team can achieve: being a team.” “This is a team with very clear leadership from the coach and Leo Messi and the players who are hungry.”
Coach Scaloni added 20 of the 26 players on his 2022 squad, including Messi, to the 55-player reserve roster for this tournament.
Attempt to resign
Following the win over Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in November 2023, Scaloni shocked Argentine fans by casting doubt on his future. “This is not a farewell, but the bar has been set very high and it will be difficult to continue, so we need to think about it.”
The coach maintained his position at the time, claiming he was overwhelmed by the health problems of his elderly parents. However, during the team’s training camp before the match against Brazil, which they lost to Uruguay in the qualifying round, the coach and some of the players acted unprofessionally, leading to rumors that there was dissatisfaction between the coach and some of the players.
Scaloni has had to contend with turmoil within Argentina’s football organization. The AFA leadership faces allegations of corruption and growing internal discontent over changes to the league format and refereeing decisions.
World Cup preparations have been called into question after the AFA hosted friendlies against teams ranked very low in the FIFA rankings, including Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Angola, Mauritania and Zambia. The final two tests will be against Honduras and Iceland in June, but they did not qualify for the tournament.
The coach, who is negotiating a contract extension, avoided complaining publicly. “Playing against the best teams doesn’t guarantee anything and this time is no different. Whatever happens, we have to face it positively,” he said. “The results will tell whether our decision was correct.”
Argentina opens Group J against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16th, then faces Austria on June 22nd and Jordan on June 27th.
Mr. Scaloni remains as calm as he was four years ago. He is well aware that the Argentine expects him to defend his title and is not prepared to be disappointed.
“We’re on track and we’re motivated. We’re the reigning champions so we know our opponents are going to play differently. The important thing is that we’re there. After that it’s football and anything can happen.”
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