“Had the b***s to tell me the truth” – Alexis Mac Allister opens up on tough conversation with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni
Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has revealed that he had a tough conversation with Lionel Scaloni at the start of his career and that helped him. He claimed that the coach had the guts to tell him the truth and he appreciated that.
The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder has played well with the national team and now has a FIFA World Cup medal to his name. He has been a regular name in the squad the last year and has sealed his place in the starting XI.
Speaking to TyC Sports, Mac Allister recalled the start of his national team career. He claims that the manager being open and telling the truth directly helped him trust Scaloni and work harder.
"My first memory of the National Team is not very good... It was the start of the World Cup qualifying, and we had Ecuador at home and Bolivia as a visitor. A day before he match with Ecuador, Leo Scaloni grabbed me and told me that I was going to have the chance to start, and that I looked very good and that he wanted me to start before the last training session."
Mac Allister explained that he did get a little frustrated when he didn't get his chance but eventually spoke to Scaloni and cleared things out. He said:
"Training passed, the day of the game arrived and I was out. At that point, it was a little frustrating, then we went to Bolivia and I had to go to the bench. After a while, I had the opportunity to talk to him and he told me that although he had told me before that he wanted to start me in training, he had not seen me well, and he thought that I was not in the best shape and ended up leaving me out."
The midfielder added:
"I always care about the human side more than anything else. In this profession, telling the truth is something very important and as I said before, he approached me and had the balls to tell me the truth and that I was not doing well at that moment. I always emphasized that part from him, a lot. After that, I am obviously very grateful for the confidence he always gave me on the pitch."
Alexis Mac Allister won FIFA World Cup in 2022
Alexis Mac Allister was a key part of Argentina's starting XI at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and helped them win the trophy. He started six matches in Qatar and finished with a goal and an assist to his name.
His goal came in the 2-0 win over Poland, while the assist was crucial in the final against France.
Mac Allister has also been excellent for Brighton this season, contributing nine goals and two assists in 26 games across competitions.