Argentina-Benin friendly: Scaloni insisted on attending Messi’s farewell
With three months left on his contract, the Argentine coach did not want to miss Lionel Messi's final international appearance, scheduled against the Cheetahs.
Lionel Scaloni stated that he personally insisted on Lionel Messi returning with the Argentina national team on October 6 at the Monumental in Buenos Aires, for a match against Benin. The 39-year-old player had announced his international retirement at the end of August.
“I wanted to be at his farewell,” the coach explained on Thursday, following a training session in Ezeiza. He noted that he was unsure if he would still be in his position later and therefore pushed for the tribute to be organized during this international window.
Scaloni’s contract expires in December. The coach expressed his willingness to negotiate an extension with the president of the Argentine Football Association, Claudio Tapia, while indicating that several conditions remain to be discussed.
The Argentine Football Association has scheduled three friendlies: against Bolivia on September 30, Burkina Faso on October 3, and then the match against the Cheetahs on October 6. Messi is only expected to participate in the final match, for which he has already presented a special jersey.
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