Although there are almost two months left for the World Cup Qatar 2022and that always world Cup usually marks a before and after in coaches’ procedures, at Argentina national team the project was given a boost Lionel Scaloniwhich made it possible to break a 28-year drought without major titles, from renewal of DT’s contract.
Already last July, Scaloni met with Claudio Tapia, the president of AFA, and testified on some issues on which he was previously quite distant, such as finances. For this reason and due to the complete satisfaction of all parties with the sports project, it was finally carried out.
I am proud to tell you that we have arranged the continuation of Lionel Scaloni as coach of Argentina until the 2026 World Cup. We continue to bet on the complete work of the national team. There is Scalonet for a while!! pic.twitter.com/64Cvg6EmSN
– Chiqui Tapia (@tapiachiqui) September 28, 2022
The agreement is unprecedented for Argentine football since it had never happened to renew a manager’s contract before the World Cup in question. Generally, according to what happens in that tournament, which usually culminates the four-year process, a decision is made.
Of course, the title won in Brazil in 2021, plus the overwhelming victory over Italy in the Finalissima, the National team’s 35-match unbeaten run at the time of renewal and, above all, a calmness and camaraderie that the selected team had. hadn’t had for a long time, they made the extension of the link completely expected.
The closest similar precedent happened to Marcelo Bielsa, who renewed after the 2002 World Cup despite a historic first-round exit.
As logic showed, the renewal will be for four years, until the next World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Scaloni, who replaced Jorge Sampaoli after a mistake at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, managed to lead the team to the 2021 Copa América title, the first in nearly three decades for the Albiceleste side.
