Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he pushed hard to bring Lionel Messi back for a final appearance with the national team, partly because he was unsure whether he would still be in charge when another opportunity arose.
Messi announced his retirement from international football in August, shortly after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the World Cup final. Scaloni subsequently called up the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward for a farewell friendly against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium on Oct 6.
“I believe that a player like him deserves this. Personally, I did my part because I wanted to be at his farewell,” Scaloni told reporters on Thursday.
“Since I don’t know if I would be here later, we pushed hard so that he could be in this match. We knew everything he was going through and even so, he put in the desire and effort to want to come and be able to say goodbye with his people, with the people who love him so much.”
Scaloni said Messi deserved to receive the tribute while the opportunity was available.
“If we have to pay tribute, we have to do it at this moment. With him, it will never stop, but later, the magic might not be the same.”
The 48-year-old has guided Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and two Copa America triumphs but his contract expires in December.
Asked about his own future, Scaloni said he is due to meet Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia in the coming days.
“It is a dream come true, but that doesn’t mean I have to cling to the job forever,” he said.
“There are certain conditions we need to discuss with the president and we’ll see if we can reach an agreement.”
Reuters
