A former player of the Argentine National Team revealed unpublished details of the meetings with Sampaoli in the 2018 World Cup

Maxi Meza told details of the meetings between the squad and Jorge Sampaoli in Russia 2018 (REUTERS / Carlos Garcia Rawlins)
Maxi Meza told details of the meetings between the squad and Jorge Sampaoli in Russia 2018 (REUTERS / Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Although it was difficult for him to obtain his ticket in the South American Qualifiers, The Argentine National Team arrived at the 2018 World Cup in Russia as one of the main candidates to the title due to the weight of its players. In addition to Lionel Messi, the squad had players of the stature of Javier Mascherano, Ángel Di María, Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín.

However, the beginning was not what was expected. The equality against Iceland and the defeat with Croatia put the Albiceleste against the ropes, which generated a kind of revolution within the national concentration.

Maximiliano Meza, one of the soccer players summoned by Jorge Sampaoli to play the World Cup, in dialogue with Continental Radio brought to light some details about what happened between the main leaders of the team and the technical director. “They were situations that I think no one who was there experienced before,” he began.

Maxi Meza supported the work of Jorge Sampaoli (AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS)
Maxi Meza supported the work of Jorge Sampaoli (AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS)

“I’m not telling you quilombos, but they were situations that until the last game, not being able to enter the second round … they were difficult days. We knew that if we didn’t qualify it would be difficult for everyone, “he explained. And then he added: “The situation speaks well for the group, we all thought of Argentina, of the team, of trying to get ahead. We tied the first and lost the second. The third was the last bullet. Not qualifying, being Argentina, would have been hard for everyone ”.

The former Gymnastics and Independiente, when asked if Javier Mascherano and other players on the squad began to interfere with the team, replied with a laugh “you have information.” The Rayados de Monterrey midfielder stated that “We had many experienced people, there were leaders who raised their voices, and always available to move the team forward. So it was. With Nigeria we achieved that victory, but then we had the misfortune to be touched by the world champion, which was France ”.

“Not only Javier (Mascherano), there were many. I think it was the whole team. It was a talk where we could all say things, talk and try to make the group move forward. Always all together. No one ever wanted to remove anyone from the team. They wanted to take the right path. Nothing more than that, ”he outlined.

On Lionel Messi, the great national hope, he stated: “I was worried. He himself, in each meeting, said that he had never held so many meetings in a group. Many meetings were set up to try to take the course, the correct path ”.

Despite what happened, Maxi Meza fiercely defended the coach: “He has an incredible career, it was incredible for him and today he is at Olympique (Marseille), and not everyone is there. I think the meetings were for me to try to do what I did in the clubs”.

To close, he analyzed Lionel Scaloni, who at that time was one of Jorge Sampaoli’s collaborators: “I was lucky enough to be called up 3 or 4 times, and he changed a lot of things in the National Team, and he’s very good. They have organized a lot, put order, and that can be seen on a day-to-day basis, in how they work. He set his rules, and from that point on I was very surprised ”.

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