Nahuel Lanzillotta
08/26/2020 - 6:01
- Clarín.com
- sports
It seems a lie, but the Argentine National Team has already gone through what Barcelona now has to go through: the goodbye of Lionel Messi. It was in 2016, after the lost final of the Copa América Centenario against Chile - the third in three years. " The National Team is not for me, " the Rosario man had said at the time, and put a point in his relationship with the national team that at that time was final, but which over time was a full stop, to the relief of the Argentines. .
Messi did not feel comfortable, the criticism of a sector of the press was very harsh and accumulated sporting frustrations with the light blue and white jersey. That's why he said enough without hesitation. Now he does not feel content or happy in the Catalan club in which he grew up from the age of 12 and with which he won absolutely everything. And that's why he sent the bomb in the form of a burofax. He wants to execute the exit clause and pack the bags.
And just as the information made the whole world's blood run cold, a chill was also felt within the Selection that made the skin crawl . The telephones of the members of Lionel Scaloni's coaching staff began to ring as soon as the bombing arose . Each one from their place of residence received astonished on their respective screens what many still do not want to believe, or at least they will be convinced that it is true only when Leo wears other clothes than the Barcelona Barcelona.
Messi in Tel Aviv in his last game with Argentina. Photo: EFE
In the National Team they cannot do anything other than wonder. Although the monitoring of Messi, captain of Argentina, is constant and everything revolves around him, they understand that this time it is a private matter between the best player in the world and his club. And what he decides will be an issue that will not affect anything in terms of his relationship with the selected one.
Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Soccer Association, has a direct and fluid dialogue with Leo . As Clarín was able to find out , Chiqui also received the news with great amazement. Within the AFA, it was sniffed for a couple of days that Messi's departure from Barcelona would not be unreasonable. However, nobody thought that it would happen now and in this way.
For the moment, the mouths remain closed doors to outside. Tapia received requests for interviews throughout Tuesday, but understands that it is best to keep quiet for the moment and let the facts flow in the next few hours. The AFA and the National Team remain expectant. They look at this conflict from the outside knowing that, whatever happens, they will have Lionel in the face of what is coming.
Sergio Agüero is in direct contact with Lionel Messi. Has your decision to leave Barcelona advance you? Photo: AFP
And what is coming is the start of the Qualifiers, which FIFA confirmed for October: Argentina will debut on Monday the 5th against Ecuador in La Bombonera and on Tuesday the 13th they will face Bolivia in La Paz. Messi must serve the penalty for the red card he received against Chile in the match for third place in the Copa América in Brazil last year and that is why he will not be in the first match.
In turn, Scaloni, who is in Mallorca, looks askance at the decision that FIFA made this Monday not to force the clubs to cede their players to the respective teams in case they have to carry out quarantines of more than five days when entering the countries of their team or where they must play the match. This, for now, runs only for the month of September, that is, it will be applied in Europe first. And, depending on the general situation, it could be extended to October encompassing the South American Qualifiers.
Likewise, it is estimated that Conmebol would apply the same "health bubble" system that it will use in the Copa Libertadores to prevent traveling teams from having to quarantine. In fact, this Tuesday this was approved by the National Government.
Scaloni wanted to reunite the National Team troop before the debut of the Qualifiers but it will not be possible. Photo: EFE
Having ruled out the chance to organize a friendly next month to arrive with a little more shooting at the points matches, Scaloni wanted to contemplate the possibility of at least planning a few days of training in Europe with mentioned players residing there. But this is also impossible because members of the technical and medical staff, props and more personnel are needed to travel from Argentina and everything is made difficult by logistics in times of pandemic. In addition, outbreaks of coronavirus are becoming more and more frequent in the Old Continent .
Thus, the DT born in Pujato will meet again in October with Lionel Messi. What team will 10 be on by then?
FK
