Chiqui Tapia: “I know that as soon as Scaloni comes to Buenos Aires he will sign the contract”

“I’m on my way to Buenos Aires these days. I hope to sit down with the president and then see if we reach the agreement we want.” were the words of Lionel Scaloni in a note to Radio Cope, when asked about his continued leadership of the Selection. A declaration of hope in the midst of so much uncertainty.

Days later, just on the anniversary of the title in Qatar 2022, Claudius Tapiapresident of the AFA, wanted to clarify any doubts, He again recalled the verbal agreement they reached with DT in the US before traveling to Qatar and is even excited about a quick resolution.

“When the Gringo arrives, who is on vacation and enjoying his family, we sit down and finish what needs to be finished. We are both men of our word and we have both given our word. Sometimes there are minor problems that need to be fixed, and this is the only thing that is missing” Chiqui said in a dialogue with La Red radio.

And to finally cut the speculation, he ratified: “I know that as soon as he arrives he will sign his contract and continue the coaching staff that has given us so much joy, because that’s what we all want and that’s what we’re committed to, both the Gringo and I. In addition, he emphasized that the national team players “They really value the continuity of their manager and that’s what all sides want, lor the same as the leaders of the Executive Committee. That’s why I insist as soon as it arrives we sit down and sign the contract”.

In closing, he explained: “After Jorge Sampaoli’s farewell, we needed to start a project with a replacement for the national team. And this was seen when we started the World Cup with eight starters who had never played in it and ended up with a 21-year-old in Enzo Fernández who was the revelation. This is why we know that there is a team selected for another eight or ten years, which values ​​the most important thing which is the project”.

Scaloni: away to Argentina and the future will be seen

A colourful, relaxed interview in which the national team manager described his sensations, described unforgettable moments, told of never having seen the final again, expressed what happens to him when he sees Dibu Martínez save and even takes sides against Messi or Maradona, it radically changes pitch when it suddenly begins to carve the theme of the continuity of the Scaloneta. because as expected Ole December 23, even with the festivities in his throat, the topic continues to be on the table. It’s the other ending.

“We will announce what is to be”, anticipated Lionel Scaloni in the Cope chain. The renewal of him, of course, is not assured, much less resolved. Negotiations continue but the arch isn’t there yet and this makes even the same players nervous who turned away in Qatar.

While some debate on the rivals of the friendlies in March (which will be in Buenos Aires between 21 and 28), it remains to be defined whether the current coach will be the one who will sit on the bench and who makes the list of those called up for that double appointment which, in principle, was planned as a moment of celebration.

The DT, who has been in Mallorca since the early hours of this incipient 2023, appeared at a match of the island’s team and had given some interviews to the Spanish media, surprised by speaking for more than an hour in a note in which he was smiling, calm and played all the songs. Even if only in two minutes of conversation he became serious and a little tense: when they brought up the topic of whether he would continue in the national team. -How long before they announce your continuity?- was the specific question.

–I’m on my way to Buenos Aires these days. I can’t wait to sit down with the president and… I can’t wait to meet him and see if we can get to the deal we want. This is the idea and I don’t know the day I will travel because I am fine with my family here. And enjoy these days.

Doubts…

Scaloni, there, changed his gesture and was no longer so relaxed. The interviewer noticed and tried to change the subject, but from Buenos Aires, the journalist Fabián Godoy, added another question, which opened the question a little more.

In that back and forth Scaloni was reminded that at the time the president of the AFA, Claudio Tapia, had announced the renewal (it was September 28, 2022, in the U.S., after the last tour before the World Cup) in addition to the fact that not everything had been agreed… “I don’t know what to tell you about it. I I have to speak to the president and I have a very good relationship with him. The best! I really appreciate the opportunity it has given me to have been in charge of the national team and now, when I go there, We will announce what is to be”, DT closed the topic of his future.

Tapia knows that negotiation is not easy. when Ole showed that there was no fine-tuning, that many points remained to be resolved, the president showed his political life and before the end of the year he came out to say that “Scaloni is the coach of the national team. We are both men of our word.”

The concrete thing is that all the contracts of the technical staff have expired. At the moment – apart from the fact that it seems colorful – the national team doesn’t have a coach. The DT representatives (and all the technical staff) have been negotiating with people from the AFA and with Tapia himself for some time, but not much progress has been made. The economic differences are important and important design issues must also be resolved. “We are a long way off,” those attending the meetings told this newspaper.

And so? Scaloni has already warned that he will soon be in Buenos Aires for a face-to-face meeting with Tapia. He doesn’t have tickets yet and when the first month of the happiest moment of Argentine football has already passed, the other final will start to play.