“They are unique players” - Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni gives honest verdict on replacing Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni delivered an honest verdict on potential replacements for the side's superstar forwards Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria. The 46-year-old has claimed that the pair are 'irreplaceable' and that his team simply have to play 'differently' rather than look for potential successors.
Di Maria retired from international football with his final game for La Albiceleste being the 2024 Copa America final, a 1-0 win over Colombia. In a glittering 16-year international career, he made 145 appearances (third all-time for Argentina), bagging 31 goals and 32 assists.
The 36-year-old had the knack of scoring goals in important games, which was crucial to the success of Scaloni's side over the last four years. He netted in the 2021 Copa America final (1-0 win over Brazil), the 2022 Finalissima (3-0 win over Italy) and the 2022 FIFA World Cup final (3-3 AET, 4-2 win on penalties).
While Di Maria has hung up his boots for the national team, Messi still remains an integral part of Scaloni's plans for the near future. The Argentine maestro has bagged 109 goals and 58 assists in 187 games and will likely feature at the 2026 FIFA World Cup if he stays fit.
When Scaloni was asked how he would replace Di Maria and eventually replace Messi, the tactician had a straightforward reply. In an interview with Clank!, he claimed (via GOAL):
"They are irreplaceable. They are not players that can be replaced, it is impossible. There is no chance, both Fideo [Di Maria] and Leo [Messi] are unique players. In the case of Fideo, we will not look for a replacement."
"It would be a mistake to look for a player who can do the same as him, he doesn't exist. It is true that he gave us width both on the right and on the left. We will try to find a player who can provide that width... I'm not saying that the team should reset itself, but why not play differently because Angel is not there," Scaloni added.
Despite losing 2-1 to Colombia last week (September 10), Argentina currently sit atop South America's FIFA World Cup Qualifier standings with 16 points in eight games.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni recalls first video call with Lionel Messi after his appointment
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni recalled his first video call with national team captain Lionel Messi after being appointed as the interim coach.
After Argentina's exit at the hands of France (4-3) in the Round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Scaloni and Pablo Aimar were appointed as the side's caretaker managers. Their contracts were made permanent later on in the year and they are currently overseeing one of the most successful teams in Argentine history.
In a recent interview with Clank!, Scaloni recalled his first video call with Messi. He said (via Roy Nemer on X):
"After accepting the Argentina interim position, the first thing we did with Pablo [Aimar] was a video call with Leo [Messi] because he was the captain. When we told him, his eyes opened and he laughed. He supported us and wished us luck, he became happy because he knew we wanted the best for the national team."
Scaloni has lifted two Copa America titles (2021, 2024), a FIFA World Cup title (2022) and the 2022 Finalissima title with La Albiceleste.