Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni made a curious remark about the international’s success today, noting that the secret lies in “choosing a player biotype, the one who doesn’t burn the ball and knows it. “In games, there are times when he will suffer.”
“Personally, I think the big success was that we chose a player biotype that produced something very good internally that later carried over to people, and community was vital for us to be able to perform well,” Scaloni told AFA Studio.
“Because I want to have players who don’t burn the ball, who know that the opponent is also playing and that they have to suffer at certain stages of the game. And when that happens, all we have to do is make an effort and keep going because the game goes on,” he said.
But he immediately clarified that “several players from the previous group and some who are in the group today were on the verge of going down in history for having played three finals in a row (one World Cup and two Copa America) and “they were very close”.
“That’s why I claim they stayed in history too. “Because things used to be done well and there were always good players in the national team, but you also need a bit of luck and a clear vision to get to the top,” he said.
“And then there’s the field work, but also the mental one, because even if it’s played for longer periods of time, I always think of the national team when I start or ride a bike. Different things come to mind.” Thoughts on what improves or needs to be innovated “There is no coach who can completely isolate himself,” he said.And it was precisely on this point that he referred to his collaborators, Walter Samuel, Roberto Ayala, Pablo Aimar, and Matas Mana, the four closest members of his coaching staff, and the fitness trainer Luis Martn.
“We’re all quiet here. Professor Martn may be the most anxious, but everyone else has a similar profile. And although everything is rougher in the games, we always try to keep the balance because we have to convey that to the players. I’m most like Aimar because we’re the ones who sleep the least. we are close The other day Samuel paid me a toll because he didn’t have any cash,” he said.
“Since becoming a coach, I’m a more serious guy now, but before that, as a player, I was very outgoing and liked to make myself known within the group. I was always like that and never tried to change that attitude until the end of my career, when I had to take a different position as a coach,” he explained.
And as for the squad in general, he warned that it was “a competitive group”. The level of this team is too high, and as a footballer I couldn’t even come close to being called up to be part of it.
“Now the qualifiers against Ecuador start in a week, and what’s coming is very difficult, just like all beginnings, but the basic thing is that all the players are having fun and are healthy,” he argued.
“Because the World Cup is over and we’re taking people’s joy with us, which is the best thing for us. This team plays for the people, and everyone on it is not selfish. When you get on the national team, you play for a friend, for a family, and for the country,” he stressed.
Finally, he stressed that everything the team sowed in Qatar has paid off in the rest of the world because it has allowed them to win the affection of people from other countries like never before.
“A few days ago, when we went to Miami to see Lionel Messi, the people from the Argentine consulate told me that after the World Cup, a lot of people went to register to get their Argentine passports,” he revealed.
“And in Spain, where I live (Mallorca), I’ve met countless people who have told me that they support Argentina. “It’s good to use football as a tool to change attitudes towards the Argentine,” he concluded.
Argentina officially return to play against Ecuador on Thursday, September 7, at the Más Monumental Stadium for points towards another World Cup in 2026, where they are likely to do so in the two remaining home games this year. against Paraguay and Uruguay. And there’s Scaloni, 45 years old, shaking off success so he doesn’t mind daring new conquests.
